Ooooh, I've been to that shop again!

Had a fun day with friends visiting that shop again, having only been there a month ago. I gave myself a good talking to before we left, insisting with myself that I should not buy ANY MORE FABRIC! Bought lovely Christmas gifts for family instead! Here is just a glimpse of the loveliness that is Weigela Design, in the little country town of Warren in New South Wales:

fragrance & flowers,

lovely linens,

gorgeous garments,

black & white beauty.

I have lots more patchwork & stitchery photos from today's trip to show you, but they will have to wait until tomorrow. All that strenuous shopping has taken its toll, & I need a little rest. PS I only bought three weeny bits of fabric - such restraint!

My very inelegant, kind of weird, but totally effective way to turn a handle

This is how I turn an inside-out tube of fabric in the right way. It is one of those tutorials that you may not understand until you try it. Master this and you can turn a handle in 30 seconds flat!

Prepare your bag handle tube. Mine has been prepared using my favourite method detailed in a previous post.


The crucial equipment required for this method is (wait for it!) a piece of poly pipe usually used for garden irrigation and a length of wooden dowel. My pipe is 13mm in diameter, the dowel is smaller at 10mm diameter. Both are approximately 50cm long. It is helpful if the dowel is at least 10mm longer than the pipe.


Using a large stitch length, sew across one end of your handle, using 1/8" seam allowance. This is a temporary basting stitch and will be removed later.

Slide the irrigation pipe into the handle until it butts firmly against the end of the handle you have just stitched closed.

Now this next bit is tricky to explain. Working from the closed end of the handle, use the dowel to push against the irrigation pipe. The handle fabric should begin to roll back down over the dowel.

Work the fabric down over the dowel until the handle is the 'right side out'. This process honestly takes less than 30 seconds.

You should end up with your handle right side out with the dowel inside it. Remove the dowel. Either unpick the temporary stitching on the end of the handle, or simply cut the temporary stitching away.

To press the handle, I again use the irrigation pipe! Insert the pipe into the handle. Carefully press the handle with the pipe in it. The pipe helps to open the seam nicely for pressing. 

This technique works perfectly for the handles I posted about earlier (approximately 1.25" wide, finished). If your handles are wider, you may need to use larger diameter pipe and dowel. The crucial thing is that the dowel has a smaller diameter than the pipe. The dowel should actually fit inside the pipe. Please don't hesitate to ask me questions if all this makes no sense to you!

'Secret stitching' - DONE!

Just finished my little birthday gift for Happy in Quilting. Do hope she likes it! It is a Leanne Beasley stitchery and is a 'couch companion' designed to rest over the arm of your chair as you stitch. It has lots of handy pockets & a pincushion on the inside. The design was published in Australian Country Threads Vol 5 No 6. Happy birthday, my friend!

A request to all lovely bloggers ...

Still busily stitching a little gift for Happy in Quilting for tomorrow (Thursday). She is trying hard to keep her birthday quiet, but she's 'got buckleys' (Australian for 'not a chance in the world)! Please be sure to inundate her blog with birthday wishes. You will make her feel very special on a very special birthday. I have imposed a temporary ban on her reading my blog, which is driving her crazy, poor sweet! Hope I can get her gift finished in time. Had better get back to it! These treasures (Zephyranthes rosea or pink rain lilies) jump up out of the garden every now and then. I have to be quick to see them, here one day, gone the next.

Quilt-a-long, week 3

The dreaded pinwheel block! Amandajean is demanding a little more of the quilt-a-long crowd this week. Triangles & that tricky 8-point join. Mum has it conquered though.

Bring on the heat

These are two of my favourite salad recipes at the moment, served for our Club Quilt day on the weekend. Sorry, not helpful for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, but just right for those of us heading into summer & mango season! 

MANGO & AVOCADO SALAD WITH DILL DRESSING

Fresh mangoes, sliced ripe avocadoes, sliced mignonette lettuce, pecans 
Dill dressing: 150ml carton sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup French dressing 1 tablespoon chopped chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 


Arrange lettuce, mango & avocado on a large platter. To make dressing just whisk all ingredients together. Pour dressing over salad & top with pecans. I add prawns sauted in some garlic to this salad for Christmas lunch – YUM! You can use pine nuts instead of pecans. Add a bit of red onion if you like – just make it up really. The dressing is what makes it, & the mango of course!





ROASTED SWEET POTATO SALAD 


Mixed lettuce leaves, sweet potato, peeled & thinly sliced cucumber pine nuts, toasted cherry or roma tomatoes, halved avocado 


Basil dressing: basil leaves, 1 cup, loosely packed, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup light sour cream Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, place sweet potato. Drizzle with olive oil & toss gently. Transfer sweet potato & tomatoes to a paper-lined baking tray. Season with salt & pepper & bake until sweet potato is cooked & tomatoes have semi-dried. Cool. Arrange on plate with avocado & cucumber. Sprinkle with pine nuts. For dressing, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts & parmesan in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add mayonnaise & sour cream. Process until smooth. Dress salad just before serving. Sprinkle with pine nuts. (This dressing is also really good on a potato salad). You can substitute pumpkin for the sweet potato.

Secret stitching

If you have a 'significant' birthday this Thursday, look away now! That means you, Happy in Quilting! Hopefully, more will be revealed later in the week ... just don't know if I've got enough fabric in my stash to finish it - ha de ha, ha, ha!

Fabric, food & too much fun!

Had the lovely company of the Club Quilt girls at my place for the day yesterday. They are all such good fun. Had a fantastic day. The photo is blurred, but reflects the flurry of activity! These women do not dillydally. They are talented & proficient quilters & churn out projects quickly & beautifully! Didn't get many photos so head on over to our club blog to see what everyone got up to.

But I don't know what you're talking about, Ms Bloom!

Fiddling with felt today. I need to come up with a simple Christmas craft for some 11 and 12 year old boys and girls for tomorrow. My guess is that they may not ever have used a needle & thread, and I know for sure I've not tried to teach embroidery to such an audience, so it will be an education all-round! Wish me luck!

Quilt-a-long progress

Here is second of Mum's quilt-a-long blocks. She's loving it. Mondays won't be the same for the next few weeks as she waits anxiously, sewing fingers at the ready, for the next set of instructions. It is not too late to join the quilt-a-long. This is only week 2 of 12. Pop over to Crazy Mom Quilts to join the fun.