Coming up for air

I've been on hold for a while because of huge commitments at work.  They haven't changed much but I'm just coming up for air. The air this week arrived on Wednesday:

But I had to wait (not patiently) until Saturday morning until I could start these:

A granny square with a circular centre

Second circle

The last round turns it into a square

 They are totally addictive - I couldn't help myself 

By Sunday night I had to discipline myself to stop this hooky-fest.  I sewed all the ends in and these are the first 21 squares of my 144 square blanket, inspired by Lucy of Attic 24. She is the queen of lush colours.

Other things have been going on, so here is a quick photo tour of the goings-on at Strawberry Patches:

The Silkie chooks are full size now - but which way are they facing!

Ben is at the 'I wish I could pickle them' age: 

Napping...

More napping

Testing centrifugal force

Wearing porridge

Cooking Special K

Cooking tea (let's hope he's a tidier cook than his Daddy)

just being cute...

Still drinking strange concoctions (me, not Ben):

 

Spinach and apple

Mango, guava and lime - always worth a rummage in the cheap fruit section for overripe things that would have been really expensive.

Blueberry and pear, bacon toastie and Machu Pichu coffee - I love breakfasts on a Sunday.

Mother's Day:

Me to Steph and....

Steph to me. (The boys do things for their Mammy, dig, cook etc as I don't like them spending their money on the commercialisation of a special day but it's nice to have a someone who does pretty!).

Beautiful linen napkins from the White Company when I went in to Newcastle and, strangely, found myself in their shop.

What better way to show my gorgeous coloured eggs thanks to my hens. (None from the Silkies yet though).

Re-cycling pretty jars:

The lids are covered with tissue paper

Painted with light buttermilk, then a plaid pattern added,

Green hearts painted on top of this,

Some pen work added and some buttons put in.

I have more jars to do!

There has been a bit of a yellow theme in the kitchen:

Mango ice using jars we got from an Indian takeaway.

Creme caramel

Tarte au citron

Omelettes (in case you are worried about the cholesterol these happened over a few weekends - not all on the same day!)

A teenage girl I know found herself in the family way and abandoned by her own family, so the ladies at work are putting together a hamper of things for the baby and some nice stuff for her too. The baby was due last week but no sign yet. These are my contributions:

A cardigan made from Sirdar Baby Bamboo - I decided to make the 6-12 months size.

A cot quilt - 'Cute as a Button'.  It was super quick to make and I have just got some turquoise fabrics to make another version with a pattern to follow.

I've been having a lovely time at High Street Quilting teaching, chatting and laughing with the ladies who come to the class. If there's one thing I've discovered about teaching, it's how much I learn.

So that's a round-up of the things that have been keeping me sane.  Today I'll be making some revision materials for the Year 11 exams and then a BBQ for tea. Tomorrow it's back to the maelstrom that is my life at the moment.

Would I change it? Probably not. As Diane Ackerman said: 

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to live the width of it as well."

Which list shall it be today?

I have been a life-long list maker. I make them because

a) I have a terrible memory

b) I try to pack as many things as I can into the available time

c) I hate getting somewhere without some essential item

d) I have a terrible memory

When the boys were little we used to go camping in France. Weeks before I would start with a list of lists that I needed to make:

1. Clothes
2. Toys and journey entertainment
3. Washing gear
4. Tool kit for the car
5. Toiletries
6. Kitchen items
7. Maps, money, passports
8. Any other list that occurred

That was part of the holiday - the exciting run up - the extension to the actual ten days or fortnight that we spent away. We usually arrived without something but it was often only one thing. Those lists were fun. Lately though I seem to be finding the lists a bit depressing - am I trying to cram too much into my life or am I just not getting things done that I should?  

Yesterday on my list was to do housework and shopping so that I could get some serious work done today - how sad is that?  I scrapped that list. Alison and I went to the Cotton Tree for some much needed fabric. We are so lucky with quilt shops in and around Durham and Northumberland. I haven't seen better anywhere and the Cotton Tree has so much to choose from. These little beauties will be lovingly transformed.

We had a lovely cup of coffee with two sweet treats (half each) which were so nice I have just been testing some recipes for Thursday's Quilt Class at High Street Quilting. (Looking forward very much to seeing everyone there as I was in Oxford last Thursday) 

Golden Orange and Walnut Flapjack and Millionaire's Shortbread, recipes courtesy of BBC Good Food:

Spooning the marmalade glaze over the flapjacks.

Sadly I took my eye off the caramel for about twenty seconds whilst I emptied the washing machine (washing is always on my list!) and the mixture 'caught' so there are little specks of darker caramel in the millionaire's shortbread.  Will have to remember to stand over it when I make Thursday's batch.

But the star of today's baking has to be the No-Knead Bread.

A gloopy dough waiting for the oven to heat up.

 The loaf just out of the oven and I must wait for a while to cut into it.

And the exciting bit - what will it look like inside? Light and airy but still with good texture and chewiness. Mmmmm

I came across this recipe on the Attic 24 blog. It takes minutes to mix and 12-18 hours to rise so I think this may be a Friday night regular.  Warm bread for Saturday morning breakfast sounds so good doesn't it?

We are up to July now on 'Picture the Year'- remember it's free to download.

It was warm and sunny yesterday so the chooks had a little freedom in the back garden.

They are not far off full size now and they are making more of a clucking noise than a cheep cheep. They are very tame and you can't help but smile when you look at their funny little heads - just like chimney brushes! It won't be so long before they can go into the main pen.

We are going to have a pork and cider casserole tonight. I usually use a pork shoulder joint because they are good value for money and the meat doesn't dry out. This will serve four handsomely and costs about the same as the millionaire shortbread!

My brother uses this recipe for pheasant as well but he uses Calvados and stock to cook it in. You need to be light-handed with the cream though only a couple of spoonsful. Dee-lish with creamy mash and savoy cabbage.

So how have I managed without the list today? Not so good - I've ended up with lots of things to do at the end of the day, so perhaps the lists will have to stay. I'll just not have to beat myself up when I don't have everything crossed off. 

Last on my list today will be my new book. I have just downloaded another crime thriller - Silent Witness by Rebecca Forster.  It's the second in the series, the first was Hostile Witness which I enjoyed. I'm happily working my way through the Jack Reacher books too - I've just finished number 8 and have 10 to go.  I don't want to read them too quickly so I intersperse them with other books.

Sometimes I have difficulty reconciling my hobbies which are mostly creative and quite girly with my pastimes like thrillers and F1 racing and rugby. Must be something to do with growing up with two brothers and having two sons. My girly side struggles to come to the surface.

Well I'm going to have a walk down to see John, Steph and Ben with gifts of biscuits before Will eats them all. I wonder how long it will be before Ben grows out of cuddles? The blink of an eye no doubt.

Every one should have a Janet

Half term didn't quite pan out how I expected - when do they ever!  It's been a productive week though. I had to go in to work on Monday but Tuesday was mine.  Roots done, a quick visit to the farm shop a drive round cos I got lost but hey ho.  Thursday was mine too - up at 4am to go to Oxford. I got the days mixed up and thought we were going on Wednesday.  In fact we went down and back in one day.  I got to visit a lovely little quilt shop just south of Oxford City in a village called Wallingford.

It was full of lovely things but I was very reserved and came away with some homespun - more of that later as I have plans for that.  I went into Oxford after that but I have to say that I much prefer my lovely Durham as a city. I had a look round the Ashmolean, bought some grub from the Farmer's Market and mooched round but I preferred Wallingford. It was full independent shops, even a little department store which reminded me of 'Are you Being Served?' No multi nationals in sight! The rivers were all in full spate many had burst their banks and the water lying in the fields and roadsides was jaw-dropping.  I think we got off lightly in Durham. There were roadworks on and off all the way up the M1 and we got back to our little corner of the North East by 10pm.

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and this morning I was busy at home with work stuff but took a break this afternoon to meet my friend Janet to watch a rugby match -Northampton against Newcastle Falcons. It was a breath of fresh air, physically (maybe a bit too windy!) and mentally. Everyone should have a Janet - she is a rough diamond, with a big emphasis on the diamond.  She makes inappropriate comments about the physique of the players, she makes noises that ladies shouldn't make, she's loud and funny - on school trips everyone wants to be in her group because it is a laugh a minute. She's honest, generous and will always help you out even when she's run off her feet. I hope everyone has a Janet in their lives somewhere.

Not much to report this week except I finished knitting the bunny I have been working on - just need to sew it up!

I have cracked the problem picking up stitches on the tiny little ballet shoes. I use my mini needles (actually 'pins' for sewing up jumpers) to hold the stitches and a tiny double ended needle to sort the right ones to pick up. Love knitting. Love sewing and gardening and painting too.  Oh and baking and my lovely chicks and the snowdrops and smiley friends and my beautiful family. I know I have to get up and go to work tomorrow but it's been a good week and I'm ready to hit the ground running.

I've uploaded June from Picture the Year - just click on the link on the right hand side. Good sewing everyone.

Big Chill - and it's not cold

So it's half term and I have the whole week booked. Think again - maybe not the whole week, maybe three days, Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday. Ok I'll go with that even though someone else's bad planning means I can't get a whole week. (I'll try not to be too bitter). I'm not going to let it spoil the time I do have and this weekend has been a full chill.  Ben stayed on Friday night.  I thought it was so John and Steph could have an intimate Valentine meal but I think they just wanted a good night's sleep! What's happened to romance eh?

Saturday on the 'Hill' was great although we didn't get a good chance for a chinwag with Sandra.  I made some little hearts last week.

This is what they looked like when I left the shop and I did quite a bit of work on them but they didn't turn out quite how I expected and I am going to re-do them at the shop.  I have sanded them down and will hopefully finish them this coming week.  Sandra had a fabulous vintage style block in the shop last week with hearts and beautiful words on.  David cut some for us and this is the start:

I'm really excited to do this one which is destined for Steph but I may have to make another for me.  It's covered with torn up pages from a book and will be decorated with little vintage froo-froos and lovely words.  The hearts have butterfly paper on and I am going to cut out one of the butterflies and emboss it with clear powder.

I always try to find different flavours for cakes and biscuits.  When I asked Will what flavour he would like last weekend he said - plain with jam in the middle.  We (I) quite often forget that simple is good too.  I only had two eggs so it wasn't very big but it didn't last that long - this is about ten minutes after I spread the jam over.

Lovely and light, moist and straightforward.  The hens have started laying a bit better this week so I decided to make some creme caramel. The bought eggs aren't a patch on our lovely ladies' offering - look at the colour of these yolks:

One for John and Steph and one for Will and I.  Ours is gone. Slipped down a treat.

Enough of the stomach.  I have done a lot of quilting today and not much else. The first strip is completed and the second is well on its way.  I'm revising the timescale for this because the pattern on the flowery strips is really zipping along.  Hopefully it will be finished before the hot weather - spring and autumn are perfect times for full size quilts.  The light is good (it's been brilliant sunshine all day) but it's still cool enough to snuggle under.

I always amazed at the difference the quilting makes to plain fabric - it's magic isn't it? Sorry about the colour on this - it is actually off-white but the light was fading when I took the photo.

Update on the fluffy chooks - how big they are now.  I think they are close to full grown - look at the mohican on the grey one!

Ben and John popped up for a couple of hours so I got to have a good squeeze twice this weekend.  This is Ben trying to sneak upstairs to see Will - he's still too young for stairs on his own (Ben that is).

Caught re-handed!

I've uploaded May from 'Picture the Year' and hope to get most of the rest of the patterns printed out so that Alison can test them.  Also on my list are two little quilts for 'Quilts for Comfort' which are nearly pieced and some work on a new pattern. Squeak. I love new patterns.

Have a good week everyone.

Whizz-by Weekend

As usual the weekend has flown by.  It has been good though.  Alison and I went painting on 'the hill' and I finished the little flower pot I was making. I decorated most of it at Sandra's:

Normally I would shade each colour with its darker cousin but I decided to do all the petals with Light Avocado.

I don't have that many crochet hooks and they look a little bit lost but I do love the little pot.

Sandra had some lovely new paint colours - oh my, they are so gorgeous!

The second from the left is called Persimmon.  Its Spanish translation is Caqui which means something else in this little corner of England - ie my grandson has done a big persimmon in his nappy. How childish am I- but I couldn't help but laugh!

When I was making the little wall hanging last week I couldn't find my calico  I knew I was getting low so I decided to visit Ikea for some more. Ikea on a Saturday afternoon - what was I thinking? It took me 15 minutes to find a parking spot and I really don't mind walking from a distance. Even those spots were full.  Undeterred I battled through the crowds and got my calico, managing to leave the store with that and only one other thing!

These lovely little tea towels are 55% linen and 45% cotton with a cross stitch rose decoration.  They only cost £4 for the pair and will make lovely little guest towels.  Well, ok, actually Brendie towels because I use them for my face and they go so well with my shabby chic theme.

Will was at Croft with his petrol-head friends so I had a quiet evening at home. Today John, Steph and Ben came over with the ingredients for a Spaghetti Carbonara (one of his specialities).  We scoffed that for lunch then John and I had a mango and banana smoothie for pud.

It was lush and two of my five a day - how bad can that be?  Frozen banana, a £1 really ripe mango, some milk and a little squeeze of honey. I was so full  I decided to make some soup instead of Sunday roast tonight.

So simple but absolutely delicious.

I have uploaded April for those of you who are stitching the 'Picture the Year' quilt - there is a button at the side of the blog which will take you there.

And now, so soon, it's Sunday night - I didn't have the most pleasant week at work but this whizz-by weekend has made up for all that, seeing my lovely friends, painting, spending time with my family, eating lovely food and very soon I will add a little quilting to that list. Oh and I found the other piece of calico this afternoon - strangely enough in the basket where I keep the calico.