He Put in His Thumb and Pulled out a Plum...

My son's favourite summer fruit are plums. They are plentiful at the moment, so a big batch of plum jam was the order of the day. That way we can enjoy the fruit all year long (if it lasts that long!)

My local supermarket has stopped selling my favourite French Jam - Bonne Maman. I used to buy it for the sweet jars with the red checkered lids, as much as for the delicious jam. Fortunately I have a big stash of jars that I can use in my own jam making. 

I used the recipe I found here. I am going to surprise the kids with waffles and jam after school - perfect for a Friday afternoon tea.

Orphan blocks from the Joseph Coat Quilt-A-Long have been incorporated into the backing of the Red String Quilt. I love how the backing is turning out and hope to start the quilting this weekend.

I am also finding ways to incorporate Japanese Masking Tape into lots of projects. So much so, that I am thinking of adding to my collection. They are available from Notemaker in Australia for around $4.95 ea. I think resistance is futile.

Have a great weekend!

Posted by Lisa

Sugar and Spice

There is nothing I love more than spending a lazy Sunday baking with Sarah. Our kitchen smells heavenly and we now have plenty of baked goodies to eat in the week ahead.

Sarah made some lovely Coconut Crisp Cookies. They are pictured here with her Matryoska Measuring Cups, a well loved birthday gift that I bought from here. 

Sarah loves to give away her baking - it is always a well received gift. I put some of my Japanese Masking Tape to good use on a little gift tag, and popped some in a cellophane bag for her. 

I made up a loaf of Caramel Banana Bread which is a big favourite with my two boys! The banana bread is pictured resting on some cheerful pot holders that our blogging friend Jacquie, sent to us in a swap last year. My husband is slowly recovering from a nasty virus. Hopefully after another week off work, he should be back to normal. I am sure the banana bread will help!

I have been working on a couple of projects this week which I can only show you peaks off until they have been gifted.

I hope to get back into my red quilt this week - thanks for all your positive feedback. I have designed a simple backing for it and hope to get it ready for machine quilting next weekend. 

Edit: Sue, from memory the measuring cups were around $14.50. They are Australian standard at 250 ml.

Posted by Lisa

I See Red, I See Red, I See Red

I can't get the words to the well known Split Enz song out of my head.  I have been seeing a lot of red as I pieced together my string quilt. I am not sure if I am really loving this one as much as I had hoped but will continue on. Perhaps with some white borders and a plainer backing I will like it more.  In any case it was wonderful to get back into some sewing today. My poor husband has been quite sick over the past 2 weeks so sewing time has been in short supply. 

For more string piecing inspiration, head over to Loft Creations to see what Stephanie has been up to. 

Sarah made us some delicious honey cookies for Valentines Day. Drizzled with some chocolate they were delightful. 

While in Japan, I bought a copy of the January issue of Cotton Time which came with a lovely calender. Here are a few of the gorgeous projects featured -

Have a great week:)

Posted by Lisa

Bloom Dish Towels

New Kitchen Towels make me happy!  

I used some heavy weight cotton from Ikea for the background, Sandi Henderson's Farmers Market for the appliques, and finished them off with some embroidered details. 

Posted by Lisa

Be Mine....

I couldn't resist making a special card for my sweetheart (we will be celebrating 20 years of married bliss in a few months time! )  

I printed out a copy of William Shakespeare's 18th sonnet on white card ("Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Day?" - it was the most romantic poem that came to mind! ) and punched it out using a heart punch, and added a red heart with button detail. Simple but sweet :)

Sarah also has been inspired by Valentines Day. She baked up a big batch of gingerbread men and gave them pink and red buttons.They are delicious - somehow I don't think they will last long.

When we were in Japan I was amazed at the range of baking supplies that were available at the 100 yen shops such as Daiso. I stocked up on a lots of baking cups/patty pans. Here are some of my Valentines Day supplies - no doubt they will inspire more Valentines Baking over the coming week.

Posted by Lisa and Sarah

Things that Make Me Happy ....

.....colourful trim

.....crochet details

....bright and happy fabrics

.....using supplies that have been gifted to me from blogging friends. Thanks Janelle for the Birds of Norway fabric and  to Christy for the trim. 

Next time I travel, I plan to have a selection of drawstring bags on hand to store shoes, underwear etc. One down ......