FNSI and Pineapple tarts

Friday night saw me sitting at home sewing with my blogging friends on FnsI.

FnsI, hosted by Wendy

 

I had made this quilt over the whole year and I had received it back from the quilters about 3 weeks ago. It needed the binding sewn on. On Thursday, I machined the binding onto the quilt. On Friday night, I sat and hand sewed the binding. I was determined to get as much done as possible, but only managed 1/3 of the binding. However, I have since finished the binding and this is what it looks like on the bed in the spare room all ready for the guests just after Christmas.

Hexagon medley in Blues

 

I realise now that you cannot even see the binding in the photo-- believe me, it is there and my sore fingers testify to hand  sewing the whole thing.

 

 

I lived in Malaysia as a child, and loved the cakes and biscuits made there for the various feasts and festivals celebrated there. One of my favourites is the pineapple tart-- it has a pastry similar to short bread for the base and a pineapple jam topping. We adopted this as part of our Christmas tradition.

 

For years, my sister would come over and the 2 of us would cut the pineapples, grate them, squeeze the juice out and then turn the pulp into jam-- very time consuming and a sticky process. Then the following  weekend, we would all get together and make the tarts-- my children loved the get together when they were young and they were given different jobs to do-- and always managed to get some dough to play with. 6 years ago, my mum died and we made it just once after that. We thought that we would attempt it again this year. We had a lot more helpers this year--with extra ones including my husband, brother, 2 nieces, 1 niece's husband and the usual crew of my sister, daughter and myself. We also had this little chap watching-(ie when he was awake)- he is all of 7 weeks old.

My 7 week old grand nephew

 

 

I forgot to take photos of the jam making, (fingers would have been too sticky anyway), but here are photos of the tarts.

Tray waiting to go into the oven

 

Some of the cooked ones cooling on the wire racks

 

Close up of a pineapple tart

 

We made a total of 315 tarts, and we used 11 pineapples for the jam. At the end, we divided them all up and each family went home happily with their stash of the tarts.

 

We had so much fun together,we came to the conclusion that the tradition must go on and we will make it happen again next year.

 

I would like to thank everyone who visits the blog, and an extra special Thank You for the ones who take the time to leave a comment.  I would also like to wish all my blogging friends and visitors and their families a Very Happy and Blessed Christmas, and a Peaceful 2015.

 

Regards,

Yvonne

 



 

Friday night with Friends

Thank you, Cheryll, for hosting another FnwF.

FnwF

 

 

I did some sewing, but not as much as I thought I would get done. I had made 2 of these to go on the bedside tables to match the quilt that I have been making for the spare room---( we finally have a spare room). All I managed on Friday night was to hand sew the binding on this one. I still have the binding on the second one to sew down.

 

Bedside table topper

 

Bedside table

 

We are going away for 3 nights to Jervis Bay. I will take the second one along and some unfinished cross stitch to do whilst away.

 

 

Looking forward to doing more sewing on Friday nights in 2015.

 

Cheers,

Yvonne



Friday night sew-in and guess who has had a birthday.

I joined the Friday night sew-in for the first time,  hosted by Wendy. I  made these 2 thread catchers-- and that is an achievement for me, to manage 2 of them-- as I am slow with the sewing. These are going as gifts to 2 non blogging friends.

FNSI, hosted by Wendy--3rd Friday of each month

Thread catchers-- with Anni Down's fabrics.

 

Thank you Wendy, for hosting the party. I did not get around to making the chocolate treats to have that night, but will try that recipe one of these days.

 

 

This little girl came into our lives in January 14, and she turned one year old on the 20/11/14.

Miss Penny in January 2014

 

Miss Penny November 14

Miss Penny turned one on 20/11/14, with her new Teddy

Penny had a lovely birthday on Thursday and received this Teddy as a present. She just loves the teddy.

 

Cheers,

Yvonne

 

Friday Night Sew In hosted by Wendy

I joined Friday night with Friends (FnwF), hosted by Cheryll, this month.  This is a group where everyone spends the first Friday night of each month sewing ( whilst  munching some nibblies). I really enjoyed sitting and sewing, knowing that there are a lovely group of ladies out there in the big wide world, doing the same thing. If you would like to find out more about it, click on the logo on my side bar and it will connect you to Cheryll's blog ( I hope-- because one never knows what will happen when I try to do anything on the computer-- as I have found out!)

FnwF

 

 

Through Cheryll, I discovered Wendy's blog, www.sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au , where Wendy hosts Friday night sew in (FNSI) on the 3rd Friday of each month. Wendy suggested I join in, and I have. Her blog has a site where you can add your name if you would like to join in and it is currently open for new members. So visit her blog and sign up too. So tomorrow night, I will be joining in with the sewing too-- will have to decide what I need to do-- have lots I should be doing for Christmas gifts. Wendy has even added a recipe that we could all make to have tomorrow night.



 

FNSI

 

Looking forward to my first FNSI

 

Cheers,

Yvonne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Finish and Foundation piecing

We have had our usual, once a month, long weekend. However, my DH managed to get my cold and was very unwell with it. It was a nasty bug--behaved like a cross between a cold and the 'flu. Consequently, we pottered around at home. Which then gave me lots of sewing time.

I had started this project a few weeks ago. I wanted something nice to go on the wall of a sewing room ( the fact that I do not have my own sewing room is beside the point-- it will just have to go on the wall where I keep my sewing things). I like country colours and of course, Anni's fabrics-- of which I have a ton of. So I completed this on the weekend. I need to buy a wire hanger for it-- I have seen one somewhere that had a sewing machine wire hanger-- but I cannot recall where. Will have to hunt-- good excuse to visit patchwork shops. I must say I keep looking at it everytime I pass it. I am really pleased with the way it has turned out(even if I say so myself!)
I am tossing up if I should sit and write up this pattern and include it with the 3 buttons I have used, and put it in my etsy shop. It is time consuming (and boring) writing up a pattern-- so would appreciate your feedback before I do so.

Wall hanging for the sewing room

 

 

 One thing I have never done is Foundation paper piecing. Hanne ( www.hannequilt.blogspot.com) has been sewing some gorgeous little houses called Shipsewana House and I decided that I should try making them. Her house is only 3" square. I tried and tried and failed miserably.  Try a simple design first--so I drew up the tiny quilt I used on my wall hanging, and gave that a go instead.

The mini quilt is foundation pieced

 

I  then enlarged the house (200%) and decided to give it a go. Please don't look too closely, it is far from perfect, but I am happy enough with it for a first try.

Foundation pieced large Shipsewana House

 

I thought it looked lonely all by itself . So I started playing around with some embroidery-- a tree, a window box---- and this is where I am up to so far. Will do more over the next few days.



Window box and tree added to the house

We have a few plants in bloom at the moment. This is a Hoya flower. It is in full bloom at the moment and the ants love the nectar it produces.

Hoya flower

 



 Our jacaranda tree out the front is in full flower too. When I paint, I love combining green and purple-- and I am sure this is where I get that combination from. We have another in the backyard too.

Jacaranda tree

 

 I was taking the photo of the tree with my phone whilst waiting for my neighbour to go on our usual Sunday  morning walk and the sun was rising from the east . I looked down and saw this sight. I have always wanted to be tall and thin-- Finally I have become that ( what a shame it is only a shadow and does not last)

The tall slim me!

 

 

 

My birthday was in May, and the gift from my daughter was tickets to the Cirque du Soleil's Totem. We went to dinner first at the Bavarian Beer Café where I had a delicious meal. Then onto the show. It was absolutely fabulous. 



Entrance to Totem

 

 

Here a  couple of finishes by my blogging friends-- where they have used my buttons. Thank you for sharing them with me.

 

One of my blogging friends has done these with a couple of my buttons. I am not allowed to say who has done them, as these are going to be going as gifts for Christmas. I just love how they have turned out.

 

2 completed embroideries

Such neatly embroidered wording

 

 

This is another finish from the blog of another blogger. She designed the fireplace to match her own, called Big Bertha.  The fireplace certainly exudes warmth whilst the surrounding countryside is cold and covered in snow.

 

Big Bertha

 

 

Talking of hearths-- I have re done the free pattern as a Jpeg. Hopefully, it will now download. If it does not, just email me and I will email the pattern to you. Computers are definitely a hit and miss in my hands.

 

 

Enjoy the rest of the week.

 

Cheers,

Yvonne

 

 



 

 

 



Christmas Hearth design

I had started this design last week when I sewed with the FswFs group. I have completed the embroidery, but have not decided what to do with it as yet.

Finished embroidery

 

with 3 red stockings

 

with a blue stocking

 

I am not sure why the photos have that wrinkly look to it as the fabric does not actually look like that at all. I think if you click on each photo individually, the photo will look better.

 

I think the embroidery looks fine just on its own. If anyone would like the pattern for the embroidery-- I am going to attempt to put it on the sidebar-- and hopefully you can download it from that. Can you please tell me if it works, as I have not done this before and am taking a big leap, and giving it a try.

 

PS

After ages at attempting the above ( with a lot of cursing and swearing under my breath--------)--

 Forget what I just wrote there-- because it did not work. I scanned the image into the computer and when I went to put it in my side bar, the computer said that the image was not in a recognisable format! So I thought I would add it to the main body-- but that failed as well as it does not recognise my scanned picture as an image.

 

 

So, if someone out there has scanned a drawing and put it in the side bar and it worked-- please give me directions of how I can do it too.

 

In the meantime, if you would like the pattern please email me and I will see if I can email the pattern to you instead. Hopefully that works!!

 

I feel really dumb when I do anything like this on the computer-- it makes me cranky and frustrated because I don't know how to do it when everyone else seems to be able to do these effortlessly!! I master one thing, Hurray! Then I try the next and Failure!!

 



 

 

PPS
I was obviously in a cranky mood  and was venting my annoyance at my poor computer skills. DH decided that he would give it a try and Bingo!-- we now have it in the side bar. He scanned it in as a jPeg and it worked. I hope. Please tell me if you can click on the picture and print the pattern and if the image comes out clear.

Friday night with Friends

Cheryll, www.stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com.au, is hosting the Friday night  with Friends. I was browsing her blog when I noticed that there was a sign up to join the FnwF. I decided to join the group and last night was the first sewing night.

I felt lousy with a horrible cold, but it was not going to stop me. It was a "Christmas" theme  sewing night.  I had been home for 3 weeks recently, and one of the things I did was to tidy my craft shelves. I found the book where I had doodled some patterns a few years ago and forgot  all about them. I had drawn this pattern to use my wooden stocking buttons. So I decided to start this embroidery for the FnwF.

I enlarged the design slightly and then traced it onto linen with a brown marking pen.

 



 

I chose a red Cottage Garden Thread to make a red work embroidery.

 

 

 

This is as far as I got with sewing last night.

 

 

I sat there sewing and kept thinking that there were quite a few fellow bloggers out there doing the same thing. I must say that it was a nice feeling. I believe that there were 45 people involved with the FnwF. The next sewing night is Friday, 5th December.

 

Thank you, Cheryll, for hosting this.

 

 

Have a lovely weekend.

Yvonne