Rummage

 I've had this bag half-finished for months and a few days ago I finally put some handles on it. The oil cloth is from an old apron I found in an oppie and the roses are from the front garden. 

Here's hoping your weekend is filled with fabulous junk shop finds, iced tea cakes, poetry read aloud and old black and white movies.  xx

Am hip to this quilting caper. After reading Leslie's posts a while ago about sewing triangles I popped over to Purl for the tutorial and freakishly, I grasped the concept. The link is here if you're keen, it's quick and simple and no mucking about. I'm also sorting through patterns and tuts for Meg's kids clothes week, I'm determined to finish this quilt first, though.

In other news, I chucked that Phillipa Gregory book because it was dumb and low on the bodice ripping, am now reading Laurie Lee's gorgeous 'Cider with Rosie'. I highly recommend it.

Over to Kooogle, and those awesome creatives.

 

Another masterpiece from Joanie for the Knit One Save One project, above and below, my daughter's first quilt. For her doll, 100% inspired by her beloved Grandmother and all her own work, (that child wields an iron and a sewing machine like a natural and all at an age when I was still putting lolly papers up my nose and trying to fish them out with a bobby pin). x

 ANZAC biscuits for a 93 year old friend and neighbour who brings me flowers and has survived the horrors of war.

Anthem for Doomed Youth

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries for them; no prayers nor bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. 

Wilfred Owen

I always come back with some treasure on a Sunday so I thought I would share whatever it is with you here each weekend. These bottles were  a grand total of $5.00.

 Taking my old shears to the blog this weekend for a bit of a spit and polish. Bear with me while I try out a few different layouts. x

 

 Have a super weekend!  

PS Does anyone know where I can get goosedown or something of that nature in bulk? 

 

I finally finished and bound a quilt that has been hanging around for an indecently long time and have also been mucking about with flowers this week, being the frustrated florist that I am. Next up  is another quilt because it is, after all, quilt season here in Canberra. I've also, no doubt, bitten off more than I can chew, signing up to Meg's week of dressmaking for kids in early May, details here.

 Pop over to Koo's place for a dose of the creatives! xx
 

Reading - blogswise: Enhabiten, All the Mountains, Abundance bookwise: Homelove, The Kite Runner, and lastly The Other Queen because Autumn is the perfect time for historical bodice-rippers 

Eating - apples from the orchard, feijoas and roasted chestnuts (honourable mention going to the girls' no-cook chocolate slice)

Listening to - Jacques Brel (but not because I want to), screechy violin playing from the offspring and the new version of Cowboy Junkies definitive album the Trinity Sessions, Trinity Revisited (why WHY fix what ain't broken?)

Watching - The Wire, I'm with Obama, this is the best damn writing for television hands down, also, I like feeling superior when the Frenchman needs a translation of the thick Baltimore accent.

Trying not to - eat anymore no-cook chocolate slice, if that recipe were an Elvis impersonator, it'd be the thunder thighs, fringe-jumpsuited version, lordhamercy.

The small people made the following recipe, dressed in the requisite tutus and sequins, from a Donna Hay cooking book for kids. We had it for nursery tea this afternoon and the Frenchman and I just about knocked the offspring down in our rush to get seconds. This is serious comfort food and what's better is that you can sub-contract out to the kids to make it for you.

 No-Bake Chocolate Slice

180g sweet biscuits (McVities Digestives are our weapon of choice), 250g butter, 250 g cream cheese, 1 cup caster sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, additional 200g sweet bikies broken into small pieces

Line the base of a 23cm square cake tin with aluminium foil. Arrange the biscuits in rows to cover the base of the tin, (break a few here and there to fill in the gaps).

For the filling, put the butter, cream cheese, sugar and cocoa into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat the bejeezus out of it. Stir in the broken bikies with a wooden spoon.

Spread the filling over the biscuit base and refrigerate for about two hours. Bon Appetit!