Merry Christmas 2011

Charlie dog, Squealy String Bean and Fuzzy Wuzzy.

Sending everyone a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a safe, happy and fun filled 2012.

Christmas Photos

Here is our family Christmas photo for the year.

The kids enjoyed telling Santa what they'd like delivered. Squealy just started singing!

Santa was really sweet to the kids... although by 3pm he must have been past it!

New Art

Husband Deluxe's sister in the UK sent him one of her original art works. Oil painting on canvas.

Just gorgeous and just in time for Christmas too. Thank you Chrissy, we L.O.V.E. it!

'Braided Scraps' Quilt #3

My braided scraps quilt top is finally completed. What a better way to spend a wet and miserable Sunday than by quilting?

All this quilt top needed was the patchwork sashing, which took *alot* of number crunching to get the blocks spaced exactly right.


















I ended using every spare bit of fabric I had to get the sashing just right.

This quilt top has ended up being a full QS.










I am also now moving onto making some pillow cases out of all the little scraps left over. There are little triangles, squares and rectangles. I'm stitching them up crazy patchwork style. What a liberating quilting style. I'm really enjoying it :)

Courgette

Panacotta and berries.

Husband Deluxe had his Christmas party again at Courgette this year. Beautiful setting and the food is really something else!

The restaurant blurb:

Awarded one hat status by the Sydney Morning Herald three years running, Courgette is one of Canberra’s most gorgeous restaurants. Owned by celebrated chef, James Mussillon, Courgette is the ideal choice for an occasion that requires everything to be perfect.

We had lots of laughs, one practical joke and a few boring speeches. I've included a photo of the dessert as it was my favourite part of the meal!

Squealy's Telly Quilt

Is finally finished. I sent it off to the lovely Fran at Willow Patch Quilting. She has quilted this using a variegated thread which matched the colours of the quilt perfectly.


Quilt top prior to machine quilting.







The quilt pattern includes: mice, lions, giraffes, frogs and elephants. It has really turned out quite well, although it is *very* bright :) Perfect for a little dude!

Birthday cuddles with his Mumma.

Close up of the machine quilting.

Finished quilt. Fran returned it machine quilted and with the binding strip attached. What a star! I hate binding up the quilts A job I am more than happy to pay to have done.

'Braided Scraps' Quilt #2

An update on my most gorgeous quilt which is using Moda fabric Blush range. This braided quilt is just stunning. I am just so pleased with how it is coming along.

I have put all four braids together and trimmed them to the same size.





I've also added the sashing along all the sides and top and bottom.

The next step is to order in some more fabric for the binding and to finish off a extra patch worked sashing. This will make the quilt a full queen size.

It was quite tricky to trim the braids as they kept getting all wonky. I suspect it is something to do with the bias of the fabric. So you can see where I used a chalk pencil, to pencil in the centre line of each braid. Was worried I'd cut them all wrong!




I've also added a photo of my beautiful girl. She has been busy crafting too. She received heaps of crafty things for her birthday recently and she has been slowly working through them all.

Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Photo & recipe courtesy of the very clever Becky Higgins.

BUTTER-PECAN SWEET POTATOES

8 medium sweet potatoes (5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/3 c. pecan pieces
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise; slice crosswise 1/2 inch thick. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil; season with coarse salt.

2. Transfer half the potatoes to a second baking sheet; cook both sheets until potatoes are tender, tossing occasionally, 25-30 minutes.

(Note: To make ahead (up to 5 hours) prepare recipe through step 2. Cool; cover and refrigerate. About 15 minutes before ready to serve, proceed with recipe.

3. Sprinkle with butter, brown sugar, pecan pieces, and cayenne pepper, dividing evenly. Bake until sugar is caramelized and hard, about 10 minutes. Gently toss; serve immediately.

Cricket Gala Day

Meeting the team players!

The boys cricket club was invited to gala day down at Manuka ovals.

They got to meet part of the Sheffield Shield Tasmanian team. Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Matt Johnstone and Ashton May. Squealy scored a signed poster :)

The boys were also chuffed to received their Milo cricket kits. Fuzzy loves the fact that he is now a second year player and he now has a real wooden bat and a ball with real stitching. Very important things for a little dude.

Christmas Tree

L: before and R: after

The kids have been desperate to set up out tree this year and have been asking for around 3 weeks already. So we ended up letting them set up the tree a few days early.

Squealy jumped in afterwards and vacuumed up all the tinsel and bits of tree that was all over floor.

A good team effort all round!