Squirrel Nutkin...

Welcome to new and old readers.

This is my Marjolein Bastin sampler for those that have just started reading my blog. I have named this little squirrel Nutkin. Isn't he going to be cute? He will really come alive when I have stitched his eye as Marjolein Bastin sure knows about eyes.

I am getting so close to finishing this piece. It had humble beginnings. I would highly recommend it as a stitching BAP as the pictures are fairly quick to stitch and are really beautifully detailed. This is what I have left to stitch: a pile of pumpkins (so appropriate as I am about to pick mine in the veggie patch), the "Marjolein" on the other side, a pencil, half of the lower border and a 1/3 of the right border. Once completed I have a one stitch wide border to do around the whole stitching. This border is meant to be in a buttercup yellow but I think I will stitch it in a mushroom brown or olive green.

I will be away at Easter so I want to give you an early Easter treat with my TUSAL posing amongst my childhood soft toy collection (all of which are bunnies).

Happy early Easter!!!

Thanks for making a daisy chain in my garden...
                                                                          Jan x

The best tomato sauce recipe ever...

My favourite room is my sewing room and not my kitchen so for me to post a recipe is a BIG DEAL.
But I promised you earlier that I would share this Tomato Sauce recipe, the Australian version.

I enjoyed the company of cooking it with a friend and even better, using my own homegrown, organic tomatoes. The sauce is particularly devine with barbeque meat. So here it is...

Tomato sauce  - The Australian Recipe

For 8 kg tomatoes                          For 3kg tomatoes

1 tablespoon black pepper                                    0.34 of a tablespoon

0.75oz (21.3 gram) cloves                                      7.4 grams

1.5 oz (42.5 gram) all spice                                    14.8 grams

19 pound (8.63 kg) tomatoes        3kg

2 pounds (0.9kg) onions                                         0.31 kg

0.25 pound (114 gram) salt                                   39.6 grams

3.75 pounds (1.7 kg) sugar                                    0.6 kg

8 apples                                                                     3 apples

1 teaspoon cayenne                                               0.35 teaspoon

1.5 pints (0.7 litre) vinegar                                    0.243 litres

Put all spices into a calico pouch and tie securely.

Throw everything into a very large pot and simmer for 3 hours.

Allow to cool before passing the lot through a hand-cranked food mill (Mouli).  Fill sterilised containers and seal, preferably with wax.

Thank you for walking through my garden...

                                                                         

                                                                         Jan x

I'm late, I'm late for a very important WIPocalypse update...

The full moon has come and gone before I have even posted my third WIPocalypse update. Slack, I know, but I have been fighting for time at the laptop.  We have just had a Long Weekend in Tasmania which means that with everyone at home I have to wrestle the computer from the laptop hoggers to even check my emails.

Progress has been mediocre on the Marjolein Bastin design...

and the attic room in The Christmas House...

I am working out the colours for the Christmas House myself using DMC threads. I think I will have to lighten the darkest green in the dress.

Happy Jan here! I have won my first blog award. Thanks Ally from Everyday Miracles. Check out Ally's talented photography skills.

Some background: Liebster is a German word, meaning favourite, dearest or beloved and the Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers, who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help the new(er)bies gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions that each recipient must satisfy when accepting:

1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
4. Share 5 random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

My five blogs I bestow the Liebster award are:
1. Sarah from If Only I had Chocolate
2. Kaye from Kitten Stitching
3. Krista from Just Stitching Along
4. Linda from Stitchin' with my Furbabies
5. Melissa from Melissa's Stitching Room

5 random facts about myself:

1. I have a very good memory so don't tell me a story if you don't want me to remember it. One of my first memories is seeing my baby sister, Leanne, for the first time behind the glass at the maternity hospital. I was only 20 months old.
2. I don't like ice cream very much (or lollies) but a.d.o.r.e chocolate
3. I have learnt  Highland and Irish dancing
4. I don't like my hands getting dirty but pardoxically love gardening (hence, I wear gloves)
5. I am a great navigator. I have an internal GPS. Who says women can't read maps?

Thanks for making daisy chains in my garden...

                                                                     Jan x

Vessel of Madness...LOL

I am a bit late starting my Vessel of Madness for Theme-a-licious this March. I have been sewing and stitching for a school fete's craft stall instead. Well tonight is the time for ....................................the Vessel of Madness!!!

 I plunged my hand in and pulled out.....

...so it looks like I'm stitching on my Marjolein Bastin design again.  I'll plunge my hand in tomorrow night and pick another project to stitch.

Toddler Tom's grandmother, Mim (or Mimmy as he likes to call her) cross stitched him his own special blankie. Isn't this the cutest thing? I love it with the red gingham backing.  It is a preprinted design.  She chose all her own colours. If you knew my mum you would know what a stress that was. She did so well! Tom's favourite pictures on it are the raindrops which fall on the umbrella ("rain rain"). Who would have thought such a tiny detail would be the first picture he notices?

Thanks for sitting in my garden,
                                                  Jan x

Theme-a-licious Fangirl February...

The Summer is officially over here in the Land Downunder. This means that Fangirl February in the fun Theme-a-licious year long project is over. Did I achieve what I set out to do? Well not quite.
I managed a little time on my HAED (Marta Dahlig's Love)...the black has nearly been all filled in on this first page.

The bottom border of the MB design has progressed this week and is nearly a third of the way across.

I didn't make any start on The Prairie Schooler sampler at all :(  I am sewing and stitching for a school fete so that has taken up some of my "me" time. There's always March Madness I hear you say!

Next up in Theme-a-licious is March Madness!!!
Stitch or knit on something different every day...it's madness...of the funnest possible kind.

I might do what Heather  suggests and do the Vessel of Madness.  So stay tuned....

I know there are quite a few cat lovers out there so I'll leave some photos of Bob with Tom's toys.

The lego just wouldn't be comfortable to sleep on now would it?

Thanks for picking flowers in my garden...
                                                                     Jan x