Oranges and Lemons

On Friday night I sat down and wrote out a heap of Jam labels for the cooking I was going to do on this Monday's Public Holiday and dated all the labels 1/8/11 (1st August).

My boyfriend picked ALL the fruit off my lemon tree and my navel orange tree on Saturday morning, so armed with clean bottles, cooking ingredients and utensils, we ended up spending yesterday afternoon and all day today in his kitchen.

We made over 30 bottles of Orange Marmalade:

4 bottles and 2 half cup containers of Lemon & Lime Butter:
Over 12 bottles & containers of Lemon Curd (Butter):
And when I came home from his place late this afternoon (Sunday), I made the last of the lemons into Lemon Cordial... it is soaking now to be bottled tomorrow.

I was sooooo pleased with myself, knowing I had used all my fruit, no waste.


I was just finishing the washing up from the cordial making, when there was a knock on my door. It was my neighbour and she presented me these 2 bags:

OH NO!!!!

Until next post...

Cheers.....Jewells

My daughter's new Luggage Label

My daughter is "RM Williams Mad".

She has RM Williams jeans, tops, jumpers, car seat covers, steering wheel cover, car mats, key ring... got the idea?, as I said, RM Williams mad.

So for a bit of fun, I bought a pair of shabby RM Williams moleskin jeans from the local Op-Shop for $5, cut off the leg (to make the label out of it) and unpicked the leather badge, sewed it onto the made label, then....




downloaded the logo from the net, printed her name (blanked out here) and viola! a one of a kind luggage label.


I posted it to her and she received it today. One VERY excited nearly 30 year old daughter... now she wants more, one each for my 2 grand children and also my son in law... but due to the fact I don't have anymore of these jeans and I am sure copyright would kick in if I made more than one.

Until next post..
Cheers...Jewells

Random Act of Kindness (RAK)

I dragged myself out of bed today, feeling miserable and snuffly with a head cold, debating whether to go to work or not, then I thought of my desk full of work, so off I trudged that weary way to work (you know the song, I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go)... and look what the post LADY had already delivered for me!!

(The photo I took of the gifts BEFORE I unwrapped them has disappeared, never to find again!).

There was a great book on stitchery, a GORGEOUS seam ripper, stranded thread, a chocolate (already eaten) and a simply BEAUT-I-FUL needle holder.

I am in a swap called, RAK (Random Act of Kindness), were there is 17 names and every month some of us sends a gift to either one or many of the other names on the list, then the receiver of the gift repays the RAK within a month to the person who sent it to you.

Just take a look at the stitchery! It is soooo cute!

and then when you open it up, there is this irresistible owl fabric. I am so happy.

Who was the sender?, I hear you ask...well it was Sandy and I want to THANK her for such a wonderful surprise and gift.

Until next post...
Cheers...Jewells

Tea Towels Galore

Here are 18 of the tea towels I made over the weekend.



The piece of fabric I had, yielded 23 tea towels, and I finished making 19 (gave one to my boyfriend to keep) and have 4 more to make into Christmas tea towels. I couldn't make the last 4 as I was at my boyfriend's place for the weekend and I hadn't taken out any Christmas fabric for the decoration.

I might get in and make the Christmas ones tonight, then I put them all away for my Quilting Sale in December.

Until next post...

Cheers..Jewells

PS: 10pm tonight... got the last 4 made!

Christmas Apron I made

While I was at the Darling Harbour Quilt Show in June, I bought a kit for an apron. I just fell in love with it and the simplicity of the pattern.



The whole apron is made up of a fat quarter (the red fabric) and a metre of contrast fabric (the bone with candy cane fabric), and it didn't take that long to make... well I did start it after dinner on Friday night and finished it before going to bed.

I bought the pattern from Tirau Quilt Cottage in New Zealand and the kit cost NZ$15.

Must admit that I cheated a bit by not mitering the bottom (seam is on the side, not down the middle), and when I turned it inside out I didn't hand sew the gap closed, (I top stitched all the way around instead).. but I am VERY happy with the way it has turned out.

Over the weekend I have been making heaps of tea towels... with the help of my boyfriend... he cut, and pressed while I sewed... and if he knew I have told anyone he helped me... well...... you know!!!....... I have to give them a final press and photograph them for a later post.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Luggage Labels

Way over a month ago, (or was it over 2 months ago?), I used up the last of some Winnie the Pooh fabric I had, by cutting it into pieces to make up some luggage labels.

Well last night and tonight I managed to sit down and make them.



I can now cross them off the list and start on something else.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Old Magazines

My daughter sent me a parcel today and in it was these 2 magazines:



The ENGLISH WOMAN is dated 1st April, 1961 and the WOMAN'S OWN is dated 31st October 1959... certainly proves that fashions come back as there is a knitting lift out that I could knit and wear today!

Must go and curl up in front of the fire and read yesterdays news!

Until next post...
..Cheers...Jewells

Knitted Teddy Bear

I have been thinking about knitting a teddy bear for a while, and when the lady who relieves me at work when I go on holidays, told me she is having another baby and it was a girl, (which is quite a surprise after having 2 boys), I decided that it was time to find the pattern amongst my patterns/material/wool etc.

I finished it yesterday and here it is!



I had knitted this pattern before and I now remember how difficult it was using such thin needles and the unusual way to increase stitches, but it was worth it in the end.

It is going to be so hard to part with it.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Cute Bags

I logged on this morning before going to work and tried again..and it worked!!...the joys of new technology eh?

Anyway...............

I managed to do a bit of sewing the other day and made these bags.



I haven't made little bags before and was quite impressed how these turned out. I made the first one by itself, then made the other 3 at the same time.

They are 5" wide and 7" tall. I was thinking of filling them with individually wrapped chocolates, or soap and give them as gifts at Christmas time.

Will do another post tonight to show you something else I have just finished... I'm on a roll!

Until next post........

Cheers.......Jewells

Not much craft being done because....

I am a fairly slow reader, I read every word and I do 99% of my reading in bed before turning the light out. A friend of mine in the States often recommends books to me, and I just "have to" buy them.

The last 3 nights I have been reading past midnight to finish this book:
A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick.


This book is the first of a set.... the next two are: A Thread of Truth & A Thread so Thin...apparently there is now a 4th book out.... as you can see, I have the books all ready for me to read.


PLUS.. there is another set of books that I have been reading (I have read the first 2) ...they are by Kate Jacobs and the 4 books I have (in order): The Friday Night Knitting Club, Knit Two, Knit the Season & Comfort Food.
The first book was given to me by a friend who ran a secondhand bookshop here...she knew I would like the story... I LOVED it...cried my eyes out and was VERY surprised that she brought out a second book.... didn't think she could by the way she ended the first book...but she did!
Then my friend in the States told me about the same book...

I will get around to reading all of them...one day....



The little bit of sewing I have done is this Pinwheel Block for Larissa who was my swap partner in a block swap I am in. I ended up making 2 of these for her.

and this is the block I received from Larissa...it is called "Lady of the Lake 2"


I have to make another block this month for another swap partner, a Log Cabin this time...must get onto that.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells