Just a chat...

The days seem to pass quickly, but the nights drag on indefinitely with a new pup. You warned me about that, didn't you?!

Up and down all night, messes to clean up, the slightest sound disturbing the little one and that means another trip outside. After 5 nights of this we opted for our new family member to make herself comfortable on the back verandah. Mr Elefantz and his able assistant Mr Teenage Elefantz spent Thursday building a lovely, comfy, off-the-floor bed for Lily Rose - and bless her heart, she loves the outdoors! 

Of course, Mr Elefantz is still sneaking her inside for the occasional daytime nap on the couch...

....she's a daddy's girl it seems.

~~~~~

Blossom has been patiently counting down the days this week. Today she had her hair appointment, and those lovely long locks fell to the floor. She has succumbed to the need for a cool neck here in the Tropics, and wow, she looks gorgeous with her new 'do'!

~~~~~

My Ugly Swap partner was Pat from the Narromine Quilters blog, and she worked magic with the purple fabric I sent her!

A gorgeous wallhanging, and the sweetest bag!! Thanks so much Pat! 

In return, this is what I made Pat from her Ugly Swap fabric...

I designed a little rainy day stitchery and made a cover for a folding umbrella!

 Pat was thrilled because just as it arrived she had to run out in the rain and collect her grandchildren! Well timed. :-)

~~~~~

Finally my fat quarter bundle (and a few extras) of the delicious VERNA arrived from the USA...via Switzerland, and the UK. It sure has been around the world!

I plan on making a quilt with most of it.

But for right now I am working on a secret. I *can* tell you that it's a new Shabby Roses quilt, that the fabrics are Robyn Pandolph's 'Roses de Noel'...

...and it is a Christmas Theme. 

I hope to have the quilt finished and the pattern ready for purchase by the end of May. That would give enough time for the quilt to be made by Christmas. I'm also planning on offering it as a 'pattern only' BOM, but I still need to work out the details of that.

In the meantime I will show you the tiniest piece of one of the blocks...

~~~~~

Due the sudden adoption of our puppy it didn't look as though I'd be able to attend the Craft Expo in Townsville this month after all, but with the Lily Rose situation now sorted I can go! 

So, if you are in Townsville tomorrow at the Craft Expo, you may see Blossom and I wandering around. Mr Elefantz is driving us in and he'll trot off elsewhere for a couple of hours while we girls check out all the lovely craft stalls and stock up on a few essential sewing and crafting items. It will be a quick visit, but I'm sure we'll make the most of every moment.

Hugs

Jenny

xx

Another basket, food and a swap!

I needed a break from baskets last night, so headed to the kitchen to make Slicer's lasagne. This is his absolute favourite meal - a meal his best mate back in Esperance would drop by to share every time I baked it! I must admit though, whilst I always make my own secret family recipe meat sauce, I buy the bechamel sauce pre-made. Times change...

Remember I watched the movie 'Julie & Julia' the other day? I got to thinking that it was time I made my own bechamel sauce, time to learn something new in the kitchen - and like Julie, whose cooking guru was Julia Child, my cooking gurus came to my aid.

I have LOTS of cookbooks, but this is my favourite shelf of cookbooks...

...and this is one of my favourite books!

I fell in love with the title, but once I started reading the book (and yes, you DO read Nigella's cookbooks!) it became a cooking bible to me.

So I made bechamel myself, following Nigella's commentary, and it was wonderful!

I would have shown you the amazing lasagne too, but that would have required Slicer to leave some in the dish. That just doesn't happen in our house. 

~~~~

After dinner I went off and made a little basket - you can make these baskets any size you like! Tomorrow when I have some time I will show you how to do that, and I will give you a tutorial on the bows and flowers I used on the bigger baskets.

Isn't it cute!! Not sure what I'm storing in yet...perhaps it could be my Minties dispenser? ;-)

~~~~~

My sweet friend Fiona has persuaded me to host a very unusual Swap with her!

You know the story of the Ugly Duckling? You don't?!! Ok, go HERE and read it....then come back and I'll tell you more. 

Did you get the idea? 

The Ugly Ducking was really a beautiful swan in the making...even though he looked UGLY, he was only at the beginning of his life. His destiny was to be an elegant swan. 

Do you have an UGLY fat 1/4 that no matter how hard you try to imagine, you simply can't see it as anything more than UGLY?

Maybe someone else can take that UGLY fat 1/4 and transform it into something beautiful!

Our UGLY Fat 1/4 Swap is all about transformation. To be involved you need to be in Australia (sorry to my overseas followers!) have a current active blog, and you need to have an UGLY fat 1/4.

You have until Sunday, February 28th to sign up. Email Fiona or myself with your name, address and blog address. On March 1st we will email to you your partner's details.

By no later than March 7th you must post to her (in a plastic ziplock bag!) -

1. your UGLY fat 1/4

2. some trimming (braid/ribbon/ric rac etc)

3. buttons

4. ...and chocolate!! It's a quilting fact that chocolate encourages creativity and general wellbeing. ;-)

When you receive a return parcel from your partner, you may add ONE fat quarter of your own choice to what she has sent you. Now, you need to transform her UGLY fat 1/4 into something beautiful!

** Be sure and make something you would love to receive yourself.

POST the completed item back to your partner on March 29th!

This is a direct swap, so emails between each other is encouraged.  

Sound like fun, don't you think?

 ~~~~~

 Perhaps you are in another country and like the idea of this swap? Why don't you find someone to co-host with you and run a similar swap in your corner of the world?

 Have a lovely Friday!

Hugs

Jenny

xxx