Tea, quilts and winter...

Today I'm celebrating the first day of winter in my part of the world. 

Oh, how I long for this season when it's gone...but today my favourite season of the year has come to visit, to rest my mind and body, to bless me with cooler winds and breathing space.

Winter in the tropics is beautiful, not cold at all, but cool at night with warm spring like days. I wish I could pop some of my lovely winter in the mail and send it to you. As I write to you this morning I'm wearing a sleeveless tunic top with black leggings and considering whether I should go find my very old and worn black cardigan that feels like a hug when I wrap it around myself? 

Probably.

My newest morning routine before I step into the office is to brew a pot of chamomile tea and once settled at my desk to pour three hot cups, one after the other, of this golden liquid until I've drained the pot dry...

I buy Nerada organic chamomile tea because it's grown just a bit north of here and when we drive past their lush green tea fields I get excited about enjoying local tea, about supporting local agriculture, about feeling a closer connection to the region we call home. 

And it tastes wonderful too. 

Perhaps it's the welcome delight of winter's arrival, but today I'm not doing any work in the office. A day off every once in a while is good medicine for the soul, and my soul feels in need right now.

I've pulled out a magazine project that caught my eye a couple of months ago...

"Log Cabin Home"

Isn't the sentiment perfect?

- family makes this house a home -

I bought the Spring 2017 issue of Simply Vintage magazine specifically for this wall quilt pattern and today I will pull out fabrics and maybe even prepare some of the applique.

I'm two months ahead with Stitchery Club designs so I might gift myself a week to play in the sewing room...

Another project I intend making, though this will be a long term one over the next year, is "Vintage Heart" by Emma De Stefano of  Treehouse Textiles in Victoria. 

I saw this on her Instagram page and fell in love...

...but as I'm not familiar working with these colours or prints I decided to purchase the starter kit of 30 fat sixteenths as well. This way I can more easily shop for similar fabrics to complete the quilt.

Gosh, it's different to be planning projects that don't need hand embroidery (or very little of it) or require my mind to design.

Perhaps wanting to make a quilt is another winter inspired thing?

Whatever the answer I know these projects will be fun.

One more lovely addition to this first winter morn of 2017 is a vase of snapdragons...

I saw them at the supermarket yesterday for $3.50 a bunch and promptly bought two. The other bunch is on the dining table.

It's been months since I bought flowers, unusual for me, and they have been missed.  Floral displays in happy colours brighten our home and lift a tired heart.

Time to return to this joyous habit.

I wonder what you're planning for the first day of winter?

Or perhaps you're in the northern hemisphere and about to embrace summer?

May your day be blessed, and filled with wonderful ideas to enjoy in this new season!

hugs

Office makeover and some recipes...

My new corner desk is set up for work and I love it! 

Now I can spread out my notes as I write patterns, look out the window at next door's lovely garden as I format photos and write blog posts, and draw up new ideas for stitcheries in comfort.

Mr E has long been concerned about my cramped desk (a small built in) and the need to wander back and forth from sewing room to office as I draw, scan, refine, erase and draw again. 

This new desk is exactly what was needed because now I can swivel around and do everything from my chair.

Isn't he a wonderful husband!?

In fact I was so thankful yesterday that after getting the office sorted I headed out to the kitchen to bake up some goodies for him.

Firstly it was a Lemon Meringue Pie, one of his favourites.

I roll my lemons over the counter top for 15-20 seconds before juicing because that increases the juice they release. 

(Some people pop them in the microwave first to soften the lemon so it releases more juice but it's hot here already in the tropics so I don't bother.)

There were two new things I discovered whilst making the pie and I thought I'd share them with you.

Number 1 - as much as I love my vintage style 'squeeze me' juicer, I get far more juice out of my lemons using this...

And number 2 - putting your egg whites, bowl and beater blades in the freezer for 10 minutes before you whip the egg whites for the meringue makes it whip SO much quicker and increases the air for a beautiful, lighter meringue.

Once baked it was cooled in the fridge and Mr E licked his lips when he saw it there after he returned from his first day at the new job (teaching high school).

This is such a simple recipe and when I show it on the blog I'm always asked to share it so if you'd like to make it yourself you can download the PDF here. 

The other bit of baking I indulged in was to make some Frangipane Jam Drop biscuits...

I found the recipe in the Woman's Weekly Classic Cookies cookbook I borrowed from the library earlier in the week (give me a couple of days and I'll bake something from the Classic Cakes book as well!) and it was very easy.

My cookies were browner than the ones in the recipe photo, but we do like a little 'turn' in ours, and I may have added a touch more jam than the recipe suggests but we do like extra jamminess too.

Mr E ate three within minutes of arriving home yesterday and took some to work today for afternoon tea, then this morning Blossom arrived for a visit and promptly ate a few herself.

I can honestly say I will need to bake more as they are delicious!

If you click on the photo below you'll be able to follow the recipe yourself as it will open larger in a separate window.

Just before I sat down to write this blog post I brought some pie in with me to enjoy with a cuppa.

Honestly, I love baking, but more than anything I enjoy baking for the people I love. 

The next room that must be attended to in my new year 'freshening' is the sewing area.

So far I've just removed things from the 'designs in progress' shelving and in doing so have re-discovered some older projects I'd planned to finish as items for the home but never got around to.

I stitched this little tea shelf design onto two corners of a vintage crochet-edged piece of linen back in 2015 with the intention of sewing it onto a piece of saved Tilda fabric to make a pretty table centre.

As Mr E will be continuing repairs on the Jeep all weekend I have decided to finally bring this idea to life and hopefully next week I'll have it on my table and ready to show you.

The stitchery pattern for "The Tea Shelf" is here in my shop.

May your day be blessed, filled with joy, laughter, peace and something delicious to eat.

hugs