F is not for Pheasant

I am going to prefix this post by saying I am dyslexic.

I'm sorry that there has been radio silence for the past wee while. I managed to burn the tip of my right index finger, which usually would not be such a big deal, as I burn myself all the time and brush it off. But this was a sugar burn, it involved trying to eat the caramelly flapjack residue at the bottom of a le crueset pan, only just off the stove (yes its foolish I know). So I had an awkward burn blister, that I did not want to burst with a needle as I sewed.

Now on to the content of this post: I imagine that you are all a wee bit confused about the title of this one, and rightly so. I think I've rather strayed into never been skied in before territory here.

I didn't want to do feather, and so I was trying to come up with alternative fs, but every thing I could think of actually started with ph (hence the above disclaimer). I got so captured by the idea of doing a pheasant that I just went with it.

Pheasants are all over my garden and fields at the mo, so I felt that it was particularly appropriate  They are at that really stupid stage when they have just been realised by the game keeper, and have no survival instinct. They are beautiful, and as the game season is starting so I thought it was doubly suitable  There is just that little issue of it not starting with the right letter...Sorry

I used stem stitch for the body, back stitch for the legs, split stitch for the green bit of the head, and short and long for the red part. I am particularly with the effect of using two different thread colours together (on strand each), which captures the variegated nature of their feathers. Sorry you can't really see it, picture quality isn't great.

I really like him, and my complete inability to spell is a bit of a thing, with the potential recipient of this quilt. So I think I am getting away with it. Tell me if you disagree. Have I gone too far?

I think I'm also going to link this in with Chrissie's Stitching Sundays, as that always seems to be when I get it done. Oddly enough considering that I work for a church, and so Sunday is by far my busiest day of the week. 

Love Eggs xxx

E is for Eggs - Fifth Block

I deviated a wee bit again. basically I decided pretty early on that I wanted to do N is for Night, from the boys quilt, so nests were put to one side. Then I came to E, and the more I looked at the egg from the book, the more I didn't want to do it. 

These are what eggs look like to me (these are from our chickens). Not what is in the book. Easter eggs are just made from chocolate as far as I am concerned, so it just didn't fit any egg I knew, despite being very pretty.

But I really wanted to do Eggs, for the obvious reason that it is my name. Then I remembered N is for Nest.

And it fit perfectly. I used satin stitch for the eggs, and split stitch for the nest.

I'm rather happy with it. What do you think?

I also started another quilt this week. This arrived on Thursday.

The Papillion Honey Bun I ordered, and I just couldn't wait to open it up and start making something.

I've been making log cabins.

They've been coming out beautifully square, one of the advantages of using precuts. 

Love Eggs xxx

D is for Daisy- Fourth Block- ABC BOW

I decided to go with D is for Daisy, as it is a nice pretty flower. I almost used the kitten picture instead as my cat is called Daisy, but decided against it as I plan on giving this quilt away at the end.

I alternated stem stitch and back stitch on the petals, so provide a wee bit of variety in the texture. 

I also did about a hundred French knots in the centre, they aren't my neatest, but they will have to do.

I did get an idea while I was sewing this to do D  is for Deer instead, as I almost live in a deer park, and it is rutting season, so I may stitch that up if I have a moment and we shall see which I prefer.

What do you think? Every ones letters on the ABC BOW are really pretty, I am awfully excited for all the finished quilts.

Love Eggs xxx

Nature's Larder

The past two weeks have seen me exercising my inner hedge women. I am priveledged to live in the countryside of the Garden of England, and so when it comes to autumn there is always a lot to harvest, and while my mother has been diligently getting it from our kitchen garden, I've been scouring the hedges.

The last year has been an excellent one for fruit, apart from blackberries as far as I can tell, they've been very wet, and so I've had tons of things to find uses for. Obviously it has been a week of many crumbles and fruity tea bread and traybakes.

But of course I've also been preserving. Last weekend it was crab apple Jelly time. Jelly is always a wee bit more effort to make than jam as there is the whole straining the fruit element, and the trying not to squeese the cloth to speed it along element. But at the end you get left with lovely jewel like clear beautiful jelly, which makes it worth it.

Look how pretty and rosy they are, I also used a few regular apples that I found in a tree on my dog walk, to bump up the quantity.

The other advantage of Jelly over Jam in this case is that you don't need to peel, and core the crab apples, which would be a complete faff, as they are so tiny. You just stew and then strain them. No one needs to see how inelegant that process was for me.

Then you add the sugar, and start boiling it. This is where my Jam pan comes really in handy as it is massive, and sugar loves to boil high and over.

Then it was just a matter of waiting until the sugar thermometer reach the Jam temp.

Then pouring them into jars. Crab apples (or apples in general) are great to make jam with as they are so high in pectin that they set beautifully.

 I also found a ton of greengages, which I wanted to make into a plum tea bread. But I had nothing to make it for this week, and it would just end up being half wasted. So I decided that preserving them was in order, so I could use them at my leisure.

It's way too early to make mincemeat, I don't do that until about late Oct/ early Nov, but the preserving process was inspired by mincemeat. 

I added sloe gin, and a ton of sugar. I also added some dried fruit, and left it to soak over night. I have now dubbed it my tea bread mix.

Then I put it in sterilised jars, and that is all I had to do. Now it will be ready for when I want to make my tea bread. I'll let you know how it works out.

Next I've got to do something with my elderberries and rose hips.

Love Eggs xxx

Third block - C is for Cupcake - ABC BOW

I've been rather busy this week as I have moved house over the weekend, but have almost finished the letter C. I am moderately pleased with this one. I just used a stem stitch for the icing, and back stitch for the paper case, so that is all fine, I'm not a hundred percent sure about my hundreds and thousands though. I used caterpillar knots and they are only ok. 

I don't like D for dress for my next block so I have to think of something else instead. Any ideas for me?

Love Eggs xxx

B is for Ballerina - Second block for the ABC BOW

Here is my B embroidery. I'm a little unhappy with this one, as it is probs my favourite letter in the book, and I don't feel I did it justice, the skirt is uneven. I used satin for the leotard, split stitch for the upper petals of the skirt, and stem stitch for the lower. 

I forgot to say last week that I use pencil to mark my fabric, and I just draw/copy it free hand, as I find tracing a bit fiddly, and far too complicated if you are scaling up.

Thoughts?

 Love Eggs xxx

A small confession

I love the 3 Sisters, if I had a favourite fabric designer(s), I would without hesitation say that was it. I first realised my love with the line Paris Flea market, who doesn't love it, to quote Kristyne of Pretty by Hand,

 "I remember the first time I saw it in a local quilt shop.  It's hard for me to explain how I felt.  Goosebumps.  Accelerated heart rate.  Love at first sight sort of thing.  You know - like when time slows down and everything else in the room disappears.  Like that.  It was the most incredible fabric I'd ever seen. 

Ever. 

As in like EVER ever."

I absolutely loved the line, and so became aware of the designers. Two realisations have happened subsequently. 

i) As I use up odd pieces of fabric that I have randomly bought over the years, it is ridiculous the proportion I have now noticed are designed by the 3 Sisters, so clearly you can see where my taste lies.

ii) As I look over peoples blogs and projects over the years I notice all the lines that I have missed out on, being rather late to the party, and I want them desperately.

Which brings me to my confession.

Despite saying not so long ago saying that I wasn't going to buy any fabric for a while. The 3 sisters seems to be my weakness. I have made several purchases over the last couple of days. One of my favourite places to get bargain fabric is this lovely lady, on ebay. She has such good taste, and I want to buy nearly all her fabric when she sells it. But today I managed to buy two charm packs, and some yardage of Astor Manor, from her.

Isn't it pretty?

These two are lovely and delicate.

Which is necessary to balance out some of the stronger patterns. I love that they always include a paisley of some sort in all their lines.

I'm thrilled. I hovered over the ebay page in fear for the last ten mins of the auction  I'm always amassed at peoples ability to "snipe".

I can even out by good price by my other recent splurge. I a Papillon Honey bun, and some other 3 sisters fat quarters from this Etsy shop, Melody of the heart, again I can't fault her taste, most of the stuff in her shop is 3 Sisters and French General, and although the prices are reasonable, she is based in the US, so I have to pay a lot for postage. 

As I said though 3 Sisters is my fabric weakness, now I need to find some Aviary, and Seaside Rose, which I really want. What are you fabric weaknesses. 

Love Eggs xxx

First Letter - ABC Quilt Along

Here is my first letter for my ABC quilt, obvs the letter A. I should warn you that I've decided to go off piste rather on some of these letters and do my own thing. So who knows what will turn up each week. In true letter land spirit, (any one use these books when you started to write? Naughty Nick and Golden Girl anyone?) I decided to go with A for Annie Apple.

I used mainly back stitch for the apple and the letters, but also some stem stitch for the leaf, and satin stitch for the stem (ironic?). I've tried to tone my threads in with my fabric choices, listed in a previous post, but they aren't exact, and obvs there is no green.

Thoughts?

Love Eggs xxx

New Fabric

I popped into my local today, Puddle Duck Quilts to choose some fabric to use for the sashing of my ABC quilt. Armed with my padstow charm pack, so that the colours would go beautifully, I'm so boring, I was determined to chose something  different and exciting, maybe from another fabric manufacturer. This is what I  got.

Lets play a game, it's called spot which two fabrics are the same.

Between this and ....

...this.

Yes I ended up with the purple one from the Padstow range, but it's such a pretty colour, and of course it matches and tones in, they're the same fabric. I ended up giving up like this, because often when I try to pick fabrics interdependently I end up inadvertently choosing from the same fabric line anyway.

I also bought these two fat quarters, one is from the Athill range, also Cabbages and Roses, and the other is a pretty floral by Joanna Figaro.

I also bought these lovely Lecien prints, mainly from this lovely shop, Sew and Sos. A lot of them are various Durham Anews, but a couple are Antique Flower. In my head a lovely very low volume, softly coloured quilt is forming, and I think most of these fabrics are in it.

But this means no more fabric for a while. I'll try.

Love Eggs xxx

ABC quit along.

I've been itching to do a wee quilt for a while now, and have been greatly admiring those with embroidery all over them, so when I saw this ABC quilt along, organised by this lovely blog shush I'm quilting, I thought it was perfect, particularly as it is based upon a book written by the lady behind one of my favourite blogs, Pretty by Hand.

I've never taken part in a quilt along so I'm rather excited.

This is also giving me the occasion to use a charm pack from one of my favourite fabric designers, Cabbages and Roses, it's the padstow range, and isn't it gorgeous.

I love the love soft purple colours

And the dusky deep reds.

Then there are all the lovely floral prints, both larger and the dainty smaller flower sprays.

There are also colours that I wouldn't list if asked, but when you see them you realise how much you love them, like the oaty cream.

And the soft dove greys.

I've found some threads that pick out all those colours, so I suppose that I shall try and focus on these as often as possible.

So watch this space, I'm actually really excited. I think I've allready said that. I have vague thoughts of a potential recipient at the other end, who is even more cabbages and roses then I am even, we'll see if I'll be able to bear to part with it.

Love Eggs xxx

Traybakes - Apple and Plum two ways

There will definitely be recipes on this blog from time to time as I love it, and am baking constantly. In the past week I have experimented with this cake, and made it two different ways, which both turned out lovely but individual results.

First Way - Using Mincemeat

I make lovely Plum and sloe gin mincemeat every year for Christmas (in fact I'm sure I shall post a recipe for it  come November), and my biggest fear every year is that I shall run out of it before the desire for mince pies ends, so I always over make, and this leaves me with a surplus that needs using at some point. Fortunately it keeps well, so here I am in June still using some of it. I've made this a few times and its always been very popular, it ends up being a lovely moist, spicy cake, and has a much more complex flavour then the work would suggest, as all that effort is got from the mincemeat. Any type of mincemeat that you make, and have left over would work well in this recipe.

- 6 oz caster sugar

- 2 oz golden syrup

- 8 oz butter

- 4 eggs

- 10 oz self raising flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- half a jar of mincemeat (this part isn't very precise, the more you add the fruitier the cake will end up being)

Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup. Then slowly and an egg at a time and beat after each. Then sift in the flour and baking powder and mix. Then stir in the mincemeat.

Bake in a small rectangular pan, at 180 C (gas mark 4) for about 35 mins. Its done when the sponge springs back to the touch, and a knife comes out clean.

Second Way - Using Fruit

This one ends up being more of a "plain cake", but is really yummy, and not too sweet.

- 2 oz caster sugar
- 6 oz golden syrup
- 8 oz butter
- 4 eggs
- 10 oz self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 apple
- 1 plum
- 3 oz currents
- 2 oz sultanas
- 1 tsp almond extract

Cream butter, sugar and golden syrup and almond extract. Then slowly and an egg at a time and beat after each. Then sift in the flour and baking powder and mix. Chop up apple and plum, then stir in all the fruit.
Bake in a small rectangular pan, at 180 C (gas mark 4) for about 35 mins. Its done when the sponge springs back to the touch, and a knife comes out clean.

Well if you try either of these let me know what you think.

Love Eggs xxx