Music Monday #12

Yes, I know it's tuesday. But that's kind of how things are going around here at the moment.... just a bit behind on everything.

But here we are, so onwards and upwards. I've been looking forward to this album and apart from the obvious enjoyment of the music, this clip just fills me with delight. Hope it does for you too...

Umbrella Prints Trimmings Comp 2013

I'll be the first to admit that there's nothing ground breaking going on here. But this little patchwork cushion made with a sample of this year's trimmings from Umbrella Prints actually has me quite chuffed. And it's pretty much down to the mix of their prints and colours... it just seems to WORK. I threw in a few fabrics from me ol' favourites Maze & Vale and Ink & Spindle and voila.... my entry into this year's Trimmings competition.
I was asked to make a cushion as well as a quilt for a recent commission, and it got me inspired. I had never thought to make a quilted, patchworked cushion before. But now I love doing them. It doesn't take me too long, I can throw offcuts and trimmings together and they look great. And people seem to love them, including my son who now has a selection of three on his new big boy bed (good for playing cubbies, hiding behind when he doesn't want to get dressed and sleeping on!)

I've made a few now, but this one is definitely my favourite. And what's extra nice about it, is that it's being donated to help raise money for an organisation that a friend of mine runs called Playground Ideas. They help build playgrounds for some of the world's most disadvanted children, and they are a fab little getup. If you're in Melbourne, think about coming along to their East African Soiree at the end of May. Who knows, you may even end up getting your hands on this little baby...

re-living food memories

I have a vivid memory from childhood of eating damper, cooked on a stick over a campfire and then gobbled down with butter and golden syrup. oh my. I can still remember the incredible taste and the sticky fingers. (For those of you not from around these parts, damper is a simple yeast free bread often made in the outdoors). Many camping trips later, and I still hadn't re-created the memory. That is, until this past weekend. We went camping with some friends to a remote spot in the Grampians, where the only other souls we came across were a few twitchers, kangaroos aplenty, emus and deer and birds of all sorts. We went on walks, played games, built campfires, and ate delicious food cooked over coals, including my damper... twirled around a stick, held over the coals till it was crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, and then filled with butter and golden syrup. Just as good as I remembered. There's something about cooking and eating outside that makes everything taste so much better.

A rough little recipe (sorry, it was too dark for photos):

3 cups self raising flour
about 50g butter
a pinch or two of good quality salt
and about 2/3 (two thirds of a) cup of milk.

Mix the salt in with the flour and then rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles bread crumbs. The slowly add the milk and mix until it comes together. You may need a little less or a little more milk. Then knead until smooth.
You can cook it like a loaf in a camp/ dutch oven, but my favourite method is to find some good long sticks, wrap pieces of the dough around the end of the stick so that there's no gaps. And then hold it over hot coals and rotate while you chat about the day, sip your tea or wine and gaze into the fire. Then when it's getting a good dark colour on the outside and is able to be eased off the stick (10-15 mins or so), whack in some butter and golden syrup and be transported back to my childhood and the Australian bush. xx

(note, blogger is weirdly deleting the first word of this post which is "I", regardless of what I do. odd. anyway, it's "I have a vivid memory...!!")

Quilt and baby blanket SALE!

phew, those markets are really exhausting.

Exhausting but wonderful. Wonderful to meet some of you who visit this little place - thank you! Wonderful to be inspired by so many other local creative people, wonderful to connect with others and see this tiny dream and venture come to life.

I've been enjoying a more relaxed pace this week, and time to you know, clean the house and other exciting stuff like that. Actually, it's been a big week in some ways. After over 2 years, our little fella has finally moved into his own room and his own big boy bed, made by his very own papa. But more on that shortly.

In the meantime, I'm here to tell you about a little sale that's happening right now in my etsy shop. I've got some baby quilts and blankets that have been around for a while now, and I'm clearing the shop for some new stock. So if you're interested, head on over and have a look. A few of them are in the photos below.

Thanks again for all your interest and support and for visiting this space. I really do appreciate it!
xx joanna

 

Music Monday #11

Well hello there Music Monday. Nice of you to join us, it's been a while.
What have you got for us today?




(seriously enjoying this new album).

snippets.

It's been super busy around here, as I'm doing the Finders Keepers market again in a couple of weeks. If you're in Melbourne, come on down and say hello. But I've managed to catch a few little snaps here and there...

 

1. amazing green tomatoes from my sister's garden (lunch amid fabric scraps)

2 & 4. quilts and cushions in bright colours were the results of last week's productivity

3. part of our morning routine is counting the number of hot air balloons we see. I never tire of those glorious things floating by

5. enjoying our garage sale find (complete with '70s yellow coke bottle glass... ace)

6. some hot air balloons last week copped this on their morning ride over the city. Double rainbow all the way across. if you know what I'm saying. 

*Hi Em...*

It's our wedding anniversary next week and I've been thinking about what it means to commit yourself to someone. For like, forever. That's big stuff. Katherine Bowman made my wedding ring and I love that it's such a special piece, like these of hers above - a little battered, with indents and fingerprints, not perfect but real and beautiful and a little bit wonky.  Like us.
*update* sorry for those who visited before and couldn't see the pictures... they're there now!