Making my Gifts

I am not one who makes New Year Resolutions, but this year, I privately told myself that I am going to "try" to hand make all my presents to people I give to for their birthdays and Christmas, and this is the first one of the year to my friend Colleen for her birthday on the 22nd.
It is a basket I had in storage filled with 4 things I have made this year:
1) Fig Jam
2) Nectarine Jam
3) Tomato Relish
4) Knitted Dish Cloth

I have decided not to wrap it and will just hand it over to her as is.

Until next post.

Cheers...Jewells

I've been busy!

Boy! the time has flown since the last post. I kept thinking that I must get on and show what I have been doing, but I wanted to get some sewing done, but other things had to be made, so there is no sewing to show this time, but here is what I bottled today:
The tall bottle is one of 2 bottles of "Grape Vinegar". My boyfriend has a grapevine of black grapes (Lady Fingers) and he gave me a heap...too many to eat, so I made this up and now have another lot soaking to make up in 3 day's time. It says to mix 3/4 oil to 1/4 of this grape vinegar to make a salad dressing, so I will try that tonight to drizzle over my salad.

The other bottle is one of 5 bottles of "Fig, Pineapple, Pecan Preserve". I have a fig tree and this year is the first year I have been able to pick the fruit. Last weekend I made up 6 bottles of "Fig Jam".

If anyone wants the recipes to the above, please let me know.
Then I have been knitting these dish cloths from a book that an American friend bought me. The first is a "Topiary with Heart" and the other of course is a "Frog". I am using American cotton (purchased while I was there) as it is about an 8ply and VERY soft.

I want to fiddle with these patterns (and others), by using smaller needles and more stitches.

Until next post..

Cheers...Jewells

My ABC Quilt

Over the New Year weekend I finally got to make up the ABC quilt I started many months ago. The problem was, I didn't have a pattern to go by. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, then just sewed and sewed. The last border of piano keys was a last minute decision, as I was going to sew straight borders of the red, blue & green, then inspiration grabbed me, hence the piano keys.
The size of the quilt is 36" x 52", and again like the last quilt I made (A Tisket a Tasket), I have no idea what to do with this quilt top.

Until next post.

Cheers.......Jewells

A Tisket a Tasket Blocks Made

I have been doing the free monthly pattern of A Tisket A Tasket and joined it all together last night. I have hand sewn the pattern in stem stitch using 3 strands of thread, then I colour matched the thread with fabric for each border, all being done in 100% cotton. So far the quilt top measures 36.5" x 48.5".
I was going to place a cream border all the way around it, then after quilting, add a multicoloured binding, but have decided to leave it as is and sell it on eBay as an UFO (Un-Finished Object). Don't get me wrong, I love how it has turned out, but I don't have room in or out of my cupboards for it. My daughter says she doesn't need anymore quilts and my Mother and Sister both quilt, and have the same problem as me with what to do with them after they are finished!

This way, by selling it on eBay, I will get "some" money back, so I can buy more fabric to make another quilt!

Until next post...

Cheers...Jewells

My first 2 drops for The Toy Society

I finally did it!!! I bagged up my 2 handmade toys and went out undercover and secretly dropped them in two different places. My heart was pounding, as I was sure I was going to be caught, but managed (I think) to drop and photograph them both unseen.

Here is the first toy I made (never again...too fiddly)... a cute knitted doll in a blue dress.
and here is where I dropped her... at the entrance of our local picture theatre.
This is the second toy I made, a knitted mauve teddy bear.....
and he was dropped at our local Tourist Information Centre.
Now I have to sit back and wait for the finder to hopefully let The Toy Society know that the toy has been found and given a good home.

I feel elated and will certainly make more toys to "drop".

Until next post..

Cheers.......Jewells

What my Secret Sister sent to me and.....

On Christmas Day I dived in and opened my Secret Santa gift that I received from Tracy (if you go to her blog through this link, she explains my gift much better than I do) from the Chookyblue SSCS 2009 and this is what I found:
The cylinder was wrapped in the snowman panel and inside the tube was a wrap made from matching material as the tube, that held cottons, sewing needles and bobbins for my cottons.
On the end of the tube was a wooden stopper that fit snugly to keep the contents in. I'm afraid to say that I had to contact Tracy to find out the right use for this gift. I thought the tube was to hold knitting needles, and the attached mat was for protecting the garment and wool from dirty surfaces, but the correct use is to keep my sewing supplies in the tube and the mat to fold up the unfinished article I am working on..... very obvious once you are told! Thank you Tracy for such a lovely gift, I am REALLY happy with my present.

On my way back from taking my parents home, I called into an orchard and bought freshly picked cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches and mangoes, so yesterday, I started bottling and made these 3 jars of Apricot Curd... never tried it before, it is something like lemon curd/spread, but made with apricots instead.
I then made the rest of the apricots up into jam and made 8 bottles. I had to return to work today after a 4 day public holiday break, then after work today I made 6 bottles of Nectarine jam. Here are the bottles ready for labelling.
I also pitted and stewed 3 kilos of cherries for the freezer. The peaches and mangoes are to be eaten, not cooked.

Must get onto some sewing now. Until next blog.

Cheers...Jewells

Belated Christmas Wishes

Merry Christmas to everyone, and I hope you all had a safe and happy Christmas Day.

This photo was taken in my lounge room before the big day!

I have just got back home after travelling a round trip of 1000 klms to take my parents back to their hometown.

I am going to show you next post what I received from my Secret Santa... I am a VERY lucky person, as the gift is absolutely beautiful.

Cheers...Jewells