Here it is - no. 12!!

And isn't it just the cutest! This wee stitchery has been made especially for my quilt by Maria Clara Lloveras who comes from Barcelona in Spain! And will fit in perfectly!
I am amazed at how different all my wee squares are!
Maria also popped this wee ATC in for me, what a lovely surprise - thank you so much, I love both pieces of your art! (notice all the layers in the ATC, gorgeous!!)

Did you get any nice surprises today?
Carole :)

Bag lady

I found this a few days ago. Don't you think it's gorgeous? It is very small, you'd only just get your lunch in it! And it's very old and worn. Thought it had lots of potential.
What do you think?




So I decided I would cover the inside with some rose tissues.

But do you think I should do the outside too?
Let me know what you think...
Carole :)

Stitchery no. 11 arrives home!

And isn't this the cutest wee stitchery you've ever seen? It's been stitched by the very clever Nia in Australia, (and I don't think Nia has a blog) **YES she does, thanks Nia, - click here to visit her! This wheelbarrow of flowers will look great in my quilt too! Thank you so much for taking the time to stitch this for me Nia. I love it!

Only 7 more stitcheries to come home now.
Carole :)

Made in New Zealand - not any more!

Today I bought this jar of apricot jam from the supermarket. So what, you're thinking? Has she gone completely mad? Well actually I bought it because not only is it made in NZ, but it is made from 100% fruit grown in NZ. This is indeed a rare find these days. In fact I stood and read every jam label in the jam section, they all stated that the product was made from local and imported fruit. I will be supporting Barker's by buying their apricot jam, but I think I shall have to start making all my own jams, lemon honey and marmalades, and then I only have to buy peanut butter, honey and marmite. I was also disappointed to fine all my favourite lollies, Mintees, Spearmint Imperial and Jellybeans are being made overseas now too!




Cool lid!

Just a wee gripe! :)
Carole

Another stitchery arrives!!

Well meet the latest stitchery to arrive in my sewing room!! A toadstool! This wee stitchery has been made by Cobi from the Netherlands, but I don't think she has a blog. YES! she does have a blog! (Click here to visit) Cobi is mad about toadstools, and loves the varieties, colours and textures. I used to love taking photos of toadstools and mushrooms, so I think this one is special!

Thank you very much for this very well made perfect toadstool of my very own, I'm sure it's going to look perfect in my quilt!! (all I need now is a fairy!!)

Hope you have all had a great weekend,
Carole :)

And guess what day it is today??? ....Nathalie!

Yep, that's right, because we are an advanced lot here in New Zealand it happens to be the 28th Nov. And you know what that means......



I get to be the first to wish you a very .....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHALIE!!!


And to celebrate I'm going to take this out of the freezer,


mmm home made fresh strawberry ice cream



I'm going to add a couple of these....



And make one of these especially for you!!

(of course you're not going to pop over and eat it, so... oh darn, what shall I do with it?....I know! I'll eat it!!!)



Hope you have a very happy birthday , and I'll be thinking of you!

(if blogging friends would like to wish Nathalie a happy birthday too, you can pop over to visit her at An Artist's Legacy!)

Wishing you all a great weekend,
Carole :)

Making some notebooks for my Etsy Store

Just playing, and thought I would try making something a bit different for my etsy store. Each notebook contains white unlined pages, and they are the perfect size to slip into your bag or purse - however I must add that they are too darn nice to give as a gift, I had to keep one for myself! LOL The middle one has handmade silk paper covers and the top one has fabric covers which have the cutest wee roses on them. Gorgeous!

Have a fab weekend everyone!
Carole :D

Stitchery no. 9 is here!!

And isn't it lovely! It's made by Doreen from over at Creative Meanderings and it looks like my very own personal field of wild flowers, don't you think? It's totally gorgeous and I love it, thank you very much Doreen! :)

These stitcheries are going to look so pretty in my quilt, and only 9 more to come home!
Carole :)

McKenna Ryan visits Palmerston North!

This week McKenna Ryan spent a few days in New Zealand. Three quilt stores got together and paid for her to come to NZ and I was lucky enough that The Cloth Shop here in Palmerston North was one of them! For those of you who don't know who she is, she is from America and is well known for designing the stunning appliqued quilts. In fact you will probably remember the one I'm working on? (below)
Anyway, McKenna, pictured above wearing a pretty darn cool apron with her appliqued penguins on it, is answering questions. She gave a great talk on Tuesday night and then on Wednesday she gave a class.




She went through a large pile of quilts she bought out with her, telling us where she got her ideas from, and then they were all hung on the walls, there were lots of ohs and ahs. The small works on the wall, below, are on small canvases.


And then she got to this quilt! It was quite exciting and interesting to see it in person, and to know that she had actually made it herself rather than a machine or some unknown person. I am up the quilting stage with mine, so I was interested to see how she had quilted hers. It was also interesting to see what embellishments she had used, as I still have to add mine yet.


I took quite a few pics, lots for The Cloth Shop blog which I update each Friday for the girls there, (check out their blog on Friday afternoon for more pictures) and I took a couple for the NZ Quilter mag which should go in the April issue. And these ones for me. :)

Stunning! (quilts I mean! lol)

Carole :)

Let me show you stitchery no. 8!!

Well, what do you think of this stitchery eh?? Pretty darn cute, I can tell you! This one was stitched by Patty from over at Magpies Nest. Thank you so much, this will look fabulous in my quilt!
You should have seen Patty's envelope, and you won't get to as I didn't think to take a pic of it in my hurry to get inside. It had an amazing assortment of stamps on it, postal and art, and a bunch of lovely ducks/geese. It also included some other yummy goodies, feast your eyes on this...



A beautiful vintage lace collar that Patty tells me that I can cut up and use in my art! I don't know if I can actually do that right now, but may some day I will be able to cut into it and create something using it. But right now, I consider it a bit of a treasure.


Then there was this very cute paper serviette, and I know I've shown you a photo of Shelby laughing, but don't you think this sheep is laughing too? How gorgeous!

Then Patty had sent me this mag to read, she knows how much I love Somerset magazines! I'm ready for the wet weekend now!



And there was this lovely fabric sticker. I am going to use this in one of my fabric creations. Thank you so much Patty for the lovely gifts, I will have fun with them I'm sure!!

Carole :D (who's going off to look at my gorgeous lace again! LOL)

And another wee stitchery comes home!

Well, how exciting is this???? My own little enchanted garden arrived home, all the way from England. It was made by the very clever Julie from Mixed media Jem. I just can't get over how varied and beautiful all my stitcheries are! Thank you Julie, it is a wee treasure!!

Also in Julie's envelope was a wee surprise, a lovely piece of her hand dyed and sun printed fabric! Isn't it fabulous?? I especially love the fern pattern.



Thanks for sending this Julie, I don't think it will go on the front of the quilt, but I am sure I can work it into the back of the quilt somehow! (Where there is a will, there is a way! lol)
Carole:)

WooHoo! No. 6 is here!

My very own sheep!! (although not sure if it's a sheepess or sheepster) But a very cool idea, despite it's unknown gender! lol
This gorgeous stitchery has been done by the very talented Dotti from over at Piecefulmusings in the States. She had some interesting tales to tell in relation to sheep, mmmm. Anyway, thank you so much Dotti, I love him to bits and I am thrilled to be able to include him in my quilt!
Carole :)

Here's stitchery no.5!

This is my Topiary Angel! And isn't she just adorable??
She was made by Jenni over in Australia, (who NEEDS to create a blog for herself as her work is amazing!! lol), and didn't I get a surprise, inside the envelope was some gorgeous floral fabric in the perfect shade of green! (the pic doesn't show the exact same green as the fabric really is). I will be using that in the quilt too!
Thanks so much Jenni, I think your angel is lovely!
(I did notice that she has hair like mine too! lol)

Carole :D

Stitchery 4 is here!

And isn't she a doll! This lovely little stitchery has been made by Deb from over at mistressdebrina. Thank you so much for making her for me, ( Am wondering if she takes after me or you? Personally I think her hair is much too neat for it to be me! LOL)

She will look fantastic in my quilt!
Carole :)

Some new tags for my Etsy store

All tags come with tea dyed string ready to attach to your gift.

Carole :)

A post especially for Patty!

Patty I'd like to make you a pav to try, but seeing I can't do that, (unless you come visit me!!) I will share with you my special pav recipe.
Pavs are divine with lots of fresh summer fruit on top, but during winter, I don't like using canned fruit, so I buy Cabury flaky chocolate bars and crumble the chocolate all over it.

Because I could eat one of these completely by myself, with absolutely no help from anyone else in the family, I don't make them very often. So I make them for Christmas or birthdays or other special occasions only.



"The pavlova is an Australian or New Zealand dessert, a single-layered meringue cake with a crisp crust and soft, marshmallow centre, topped with whipped cream and fruit. The confection was popularised when the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova toured Australasia in 1925. Whether the final perfecting and naming of the cake was the achievement of Australians or NewZealanders is a matter of national rivalry. One explanation of the pavlova’s origins is that a West Australian chef found a recipe in a New Zealand women’s magazine and adapted it – an explanation which happily gives each country its own piece of the cake." (taken from a web site, but I can't remember which one)

A true New Zealand Pavlova :D

Beat 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until very stiff. (there's lots of beating in this) When stiff add 3 tablespoons of cold water, one at a time, while you are beating. Keep beating egg whites. Then add 1 cup of castor sugar, (fine white sugar) a very little at a time, while you are beating, keep adding the sugar until it has all been added and it has all dissolved. Then add 2 teaspoons of cornflour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and 1 teaspoon of malt vinegar and keep beating until egg mixture is very stiff.
Tip the egg mix onto a baking tray, I always tip it in a pile, and I don't spread it too much, as it will spread a little while baking.
Cook it in an oven at 160 / 375 for 1 hour.
Put it onto a large plate and when cool top it with whipped FRESH cream and your toppings.

While the pav cools you will get a little cracking of the meringue shell, and it may also sink a little. Nothing a little extra whipped cream can't hide!!! :))

I couldn't find any pics of my pavs, except this one made last summer. I topped it with fresh strawberries and cherries and pureed some strawberries to made the liquid you see running down the side. (and a little crumbled chocolate on top).


This recipe should come out with a crunchy outside and a soft marshmellowy inside.



Good luck Patty! Let me know how you get on!

Carole :)