My FAVOURITE Jam

My boyfriend and I were watching the Tennis on TV Friday night, when he casually mentioned that he was asked to poison some blackberries on a friend's farm.

Now this got my attention, as I just LOVE blackberries and blackberry jam.

So after much tooing and froing, we decided to go blackberry picking BEFORE he did the dastardly deed of killing the shrub. Let's just say, out of the kilo "we" picked, he did most of the picking and has the scratches on his arms and legs to prove it.

I didn't expect to get much jam from a kilo, but was pleasantly surprised to get 6 small jars and 2 tiny jars of jam. I won't be selling any of this jam.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Problems along the way...

I got a shock when I got out the embroidered squares, and only found I had 10 of them, not the 12 I thought were there... so I tried to rearrange the blocks and realised that I really did want 12 blocks, so I went to my "horse/cowgirl" fabric and came up with this fabric, so I fussy cut it and (I think) it fits in nicely:

Then I realised that I did not have enough of the centre fabric, so off to the horse/cowgirl stash again and came up with this one:

So now I have six of each colour.

It is now past 5pm, I have made the 12 blocks and will stop for now and continue on it another day soon.

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

One block made - 11 to go + borders!

I have finally started on my commission "Cowgirl" quilt.

I was going to have the centre on point inside a star, but when I went to cut it out, I changed my mind... for some reason I thought a Churn Dash would be more fitting than a Star...

Here is the first of 12 blocks. The rust colour has cowgirl boots all over it and the blue fabric is made up of horseshoes.

.. I am winging it as far as a pattern goes.. think I will add borders in between the blocks...don't know.. will have to see when I get to it..

I have to end up with a double bed quilt, as it has to fit a "King Single" bed.

Better get back to the machine....coffee first..

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

Today's Doings

Today I spent a bit of time in the kitchen and made up a batch of "Curry Ketchup" from tomatoes out of my garden

Yesterday, my boyfriend pulled out my Zucchini plants, so we made up the last batch of Zucchini Pickles from the last picking

Then we pickled some of my beetroot

and lastly, I made stewed rhubarb and I add passionfruit NOT apple.. again all from my garden.

Then I walked past the next project I am to make... a commissioned quilt... I usually say no when asked to make a quilt, but I was caught at a weak moment and said yes I would make a "Cowgirl's" doubled bed quilt for someone, so I bought heaps of "horsey" fabric while in the States and then found these adorable embroidered blocks on eBay... now I must get onto making something out of it all...

...but first... I must do the ironing!

Until next post...............

Cheers.......Jewells

Forks with Attitude!

Remember these spoons I have made in the past?

Well I have tried my hand with a different lot of old silver cutlery:

FORKS WITH ATTITUDE!

The first fork represents : RIGHT ON!

the last fork represents: PEACE

and the middle fork?.......

well let's just say that fork has ATTITUDE!

All forks can be used on a Cheese Platter, to stab cheese, cocktail onions, salami...etc.. well they certainly are a talking piece amongst friends!

Like the spoons, I have put them on the counter at work for sale and they sell like hotcakes at 3 for $10!

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

An Aussie at an American Football Game

While I was in the States, I wanted to go and watch a live football game.

The Indianapolis Colts (19) played North Carolina (27).

When I got there, I saw this guy, so I went up to him and said "Hi, I'm an Aussie and I was wondering if I could have my photo taken with you?".... he smiled, hugged me and said to his mate "I'm being hugged by an Aussie"

.... so his mate had to be photographed with me too!

The stadium holds 75,000 people and I'd say it was 3/4 full. The Super Bowl is being played in this stadium this year.

After the game, I had sort of worked out the rules of play.

Until next post...
Cheers...Jewells

Busy Busy Busy

After having 8 weeks off work, it was so hard to go back to the daily grind, but last Tuesday I had to face the real world and go back to work!

This weekend I made 3 batches of Zucchini Pickles, this follows 3 batches last weekend, as well as a Zucchini & Cinnamon Cake & a Zucchini Lasagna. My garden had produced lots and lots of zucchinis while I was away, so my boyfriend was handing them out to family & friends, but he kept the recent crops for me to do something with.

As I can't just sit and watch TV without doing something, I am always knitting up these dish cloths. I bought a "Christmas" ball of cotton in the States while I was there and kinitted up the whole huge ball into many cloths (I think it made about 8). I realised after my Quilt/Craft Sale last December, I need to make up a lot more of these cloths as the 35 I had there for $4 each had all sold by 10am with an order for 5 more straight away!

While in the States, one of the MANY things I bought was this cute Teddy Bear... you press his foot and he moves his hands away from his eyes and says "Peek-a-Boo" followed with a childish laugh... he does it 5-6 times in a row....oh so sweet.

My grand daughter had her first visit from the Tooth Fairy last night... she is over 7 years old and she was starting to get upset as all her friends had lost teeth and she hadn't... but thankfully, she has inherited teeth from me and my family and her teeth are healthy and strong!

My, my...the Tooth Fairy certainly has had some increases in prices of teeth... my grand daughter received $5 for her first tooth and will receive $2 for all the following teeth that fall out naturally... I only got 20cents for mine!... inflation I suppose.... how much does the Tooth Fairy pay where you live?

Until next post...

Cheers....Jewells