Monday, June 1, 2015

Vegemite Crusts

Sharing a family favourite with you all today. I remember my Mum making this for my brother and sister when they were little and I became quite fond of them myself. So it was only natural that once I had my own children, that I in turn made them for them as well.

It is also a perfect way to use up any scraps of bread, particularly if it has gone stale. This is also a good recipe for kids to make as well, as they can practice their spreading, cutting and grating skills.



Vegemite Crusts

Ingredients:
Bread (the staler the better)
Vegemite
Grated Cheese

Method:
1. Spread Vegemite onto each slice of bread.
2. Cut each slice into three fingers.
3. Place onto a baking tray and sprinkle with grated cheese.



4. Place into a slow (150 degrees or so) oven and cook until golden in colour.


# Did you notice one was missing - I couldn't help myself - they smelt soooo good!

5. Store in an air tight container. I can't tell you how long they will last for - cause they are all usually gone within a couple of days. LOL



Saturday, February 7, 2015

ALYOF - Feb '15 Goal

January - gone already! WOW!

The kids have gone back to school and where I should be able to finally sit and relax, it seems that I have more on then ever with Mummy Duties, Paperwork for my Joey Scout Leader role, studying for my Cert 3 in Business and also a Cert 3 in Leadership - PLUS - I have just booked my spot in a local handmade market coming up at the end of March! I really really need to get my head down and bum up if I plan to get all of this done!



My main goal for Feb is a bit (well actually a lot) of a secret squirrel project. 
But I can tell you.......


Goal #1 -  involves these two fabrics and another colour which isn't in the photo. Yep that is a whole roll of black Homespun there - all 15 mtrs of it! Watch this space closely for its unveiling at the end of the month!


The following two projects are something for me to do whilst watching an episode or two of Charmed, which at the moment is the way I have been chilling out - watching and stitching at the same time.


Goal #2 - so it is another block of Mum's Everyday Angels quilt - this one will need the block sewn together, the pieces traced onto visofex, cut out and ironed on before I can sit and sew. This is the third last block for the quilt. YAY! It is also a simple one this month, which I am looking forward too.



Goal #3 - This one - is just pure heavenly ME indulgence. Yep - you are seeing correctly I have jumped on the Hazel Hedgehog band wagon which is gracing the net at the moment. I am a little dissapointed that it isn't paper pieced, as I adore PP - so I ended up buying both patterns and I am going to start with the biggest sizing and work my way down the block sizes until I can make the small hedgie blocks with ease. 


Wish me a tonne load of luck and patience as I madly try to get this all done and in the smallest month of the year too - yep it's official - I am just super plain crazy!


Linking up with Fiber of All Sorts and Sew My Stash 2015!




Sunday, February 1, 2015

Sunday Stash - #3 2015

I can't believe that Sunday Stash is here again - and really two Sunday Stashs' since I missed last weekend as I was at a 21st and away from my computer. Honestly the last two weeks in January have just flown by.


I grabbed a Frixion pen when I was in Woolworths the other week - I have read many blogs and FB posts of people swearing by how good these are, so whilst they were only $2.00 I grabbed myself one. I figured at that price if it doesn't work on my fabric - at least I still have a pen to write with.



I know I know - some NEW fabric - which shouldn't be so, but...... the pink is intended to make a Hazel the Hedgehog that is currently doing the rounds in blogland. I think she is very very cute and Miss Moo went nuts when she saw her. I am hoping to participate in the QAL that is happening if I can spare some time.
 As for the Aqua and the red - they are for a string quilt that I have been wanting to make for ages now. This was the very first block that I made for a Quilting Bee that I was apart off and ever since then I have been slowly collecting scrap bits here and there.



Did you know that Big W sells fabric???? It really is a case of pot luck though - but last week I was able to pick up a cute FQ of some Melly & Me fabric, as well as a Meter piece of some aqua for the string quilt. My kids think I am nuts whenever I go as not only do I go through each and every one - but I put them all back in their right colour bays from lightest to darkest! 



My birthday present last year from my MIL was a subscription to the Handmade magazine - so it is always lovely to receive some nice mail for a change. And it also makes me feel less guilty about buying two magazines a month.


Anyway, as usual linking up to the Sunday Stash over at Molli Sparkles.


Saturday, January 31, 2015

ALYOF - Jan Finish!

Well I made it......but only just!

January was meant to be my nice quiet month of only 1 child, minimal housework, watching the Charmed Series and an almost endless supply of chocolate, wine and sushi! It was meant to be all about me - quality me time - just me and my sewing machine!  

Yet here I am with a bit over an hour posting about my finishes for January - as part of the A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015 and only just finishing off my goals and wondering where on earth January went!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here's how I went.........


#1 - Superman Sleep Shorts - still currently in production. Just a few more seams and hems and they will be done.



#2 - Fox Cushion. I had so much fun working on this one. I was able to stitch and watch Charmed at the same time - so a huge win win for me. Originally I had planned on making a cushion for Mr 5, although the more I stitched the more I fell in love with this fellow and I have now decided to keep making more of these blocks and make the full quilt.  Bugger you Toni from Me and My Red Boots for making such an adorable pattern - this was the year of finishing projects - not starting yet another quilt!!!!!!!!!!

I am totally loving the tone on tone chevron yellow that I used for the backing - I am thinking next time I am in the vicinity of Spotlight, I might grab some of the other colours for the rest of the quilt.



#3 - My Bonnie & Camille Interwoven Quilt. I thought I would be ecstatic when I finally finished this top, but now I am finding myself wondering whether or not to put a white border around it before quilting it???? and also do I still use the red n white minky for the backing as planned or should I just stick to a plain cotton backing????? Decisions decisions. I think I will pop this one aside for the time being and take it to my next Quilt Group and ask the girls for their thoughts. 



#4 Everyday Angel Block - YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have finally finished another block. Only three more to go and then I can put the top together.  Just in case you didn't get the drift at the start of January - I am so over this quilt. Mind you stitching and watching Charmed episodes has made it go a lot quicker. 


Linking up with Fiber of All Sorts and 2015 Sewing my Stash






Sunday, January 11, 2015

Sunday Stash - #2 2015

  WOW - it seems that this week has just flown by. Not much has happened in our little household - although I did manage to finally take the Christmas tree and decorations down.

I am pleased to say that I have stayed all from all fabric stores - both here locally and online! However...... I did manage to pick up some fabric from a local Op Shop. 


The first was this awesome bundle of pirate quilting cotton for $10. There were a couple of sewn rows - but the rest of the fabric has been cut into rectangles waiting to be sewn. I am estimating that teamed with a little black homespun - this will be almost a single quilt sizing. Not sure whether this one will be for Mr 5 or just a throw for the back of our car. I am sure though it will be used throughout Scouts somewhere as the Pirate theme is very common.


I also picked up this cutie - only a polycotton though and the shop had this stashed in the baby sheeting section, despite being clearly home hemmed. I snavelled it anyhows as I am sure it will come in handy for something for me, seeing I am a sucker for cows.


The next few items (not fabric) were Christmas presents that I thought I would share with you all.


Two books - both only $4.99 at Spotlight. Miss almost 11 has claimed the sock one, telling me that I will have to teach her how to make them now that I have a book - LOL! The Fresh Fabric Treats was put together from the Moda Bake Shop Designers and what really appealed to me was a gorgeous scrunched table runner featuring Pure Sweetwater fabric. Although there are also several other patterns in there that I want to make too.


Argh - The dreaded Bobbin Box. I constantly seem to break those rigid plastic ones - so Hubby brought me this one. He liked that it had a more secure lid, it held more bobbins and it also came with not one but two needle threaders.


Can you tell that I am a bit OCD when it comes to the placement of my bobbins!!!!!!!


This is my favourite thing about the bobbin box....... I can drop it whilst it is open or turn it upside down and the bobbins stay put - they don't come out. Totally a bobbin box match made in heaven for me.   Made by Birch and the only downside I can think of is that they are a bit more pricey at around $15 - but so totally worth every cent.


Linking up with The Sunday Stash by the fabulous Molli from Molly Sparkles.



Thursday, January 8, 2015

I have been published..... EEEK!

Despite the magazine coming out on January 1st - I am still pinching myself about having a quilt that I made published in a magazine.
And not just any magazine either - in the funky new digital magazine - Make Modern - Issue #3.

To the girls that I go to quilt group with - it is no secret that Emma Jean Jansen is one of my favourite designers. I have a stash of her fabric range Terra Australis 1 that is currently sitting in my fabric cupboard - every now and then I pull it out and play with the fabric, petting it and telling it how stunning it is, before packing it all away. To be honest - I am just waiting for that perfect pattern to come along before I cut into it.

Anyway, I was asked if I would be willing to make a quilt for an upcoming issue using the scrumptious range The Linen Cupboard by Emma Jean. I squealed like a child in a lolly shop that was told they could have whatever they wanted. See not only is Emma Jean one of my fav designers - but I am a total sucker for vintage fabrics (we won't even go into that small stash that is hidden away waiting for that perfect pattern).

Anyway the pattern is called The Contrary Wife and was designed by the talented duo Kristy from Quiet Play and Jane from Where Jane Creates.


(Please disregard my dodgy looking design wall - I have been asking Hubby for months now to attach the sheeting a little more securely - oh well, all in good time I suppose!)

This was the very first time that I had used curved pins to baste a quilt and I was really impressed with how easy they were to use. I only pricked my fingers a couple of times - LOL.



I am really really happy with how this turned out. This quilt is meant to live as a snuggle quilt on my Futon in my craft room to provide inspiration and boost my confidence - but every now and then I have to make the trek through Miss almost 11's room to retrieve it.


(Photo taken by the Make Modern team - 2014)


For the pattern for this gorgeous quilt head on over to the Make Modern website and purchase Issue #3 or even a 6 month or 1 year subscription today.





Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sunday Stash - #1 2015

Unlike last year - I am not putting myself on a self imposed no new fabric ban (which I will point out that only lasted around 6 months anyway). But in saying that I am going to try and make a conscious effort to use what is in my stash - only buying new fabric for an actual project that I am currently working on, when there is nothing in my stash that is suitable. 


A few new goodies this week that snuck in.....


Some softer reds, greys and a black n white. These lovely FQ's are destined to be a quilt for one of my Aunts.The pattern I have decided to use is Short & Sweet from the September 2014 issue of Homespun, which is a gorgeous quilt by Sue Bellini featuring Dachshunds. As my aunt owns a Dachshund called nothing other then Schnitzel von Krum, I thought this was only fitting. Her favourite colour is also red and last time I visited, her new black leather lounge was looking very plain and screaming for a fun and funky quilt to be loving drapped over it. Seeing this is a combined Christmas and Birthday present (and her birthday is in May), I had better get a wriggle on this one. 




Would you believe that I found these two gorgeous prints on the clearance table at Spotlight in Port Macquarie???? Despite being marked $8 and $10 respectively, I held my ground, waiving my SL catalogue and pointed to the only sign on the table stating that all clearance fabric was now only $4 per metre. The result - I got 1.7m of the pink birdcages and 3m of the flying birds for the bargain basement price of only $4m.  Mind you Miss almost 11 has claimed the flying birds for a pair of PJ pants and cushion once she learns how to sew - LOL.



This Cat in the Hat Panel was also only $4, so I snavelled up one of these to put with my growing collection of Seuss fabric which will one day be made up into a cot quilt.

I know, I know - my first paragraph said no new fabric unless it was for a current project - but how could I walk past these lovelies at such a fantastic price.


Anyway, linking up with the fabulous Molli Sparkles - Sunday Stash and the #SewMyStash 2015!