Sharing Stitches By Chrissy Grace

I came across this fascinating project by the artist Chrissy Grace and thought what a wonderful idea it was ... unfortunately the lovely book with the description and explanation is not available until the end of November ... what a lovely Christmas present for someone though ... (hint, hint, Mr Whizz Kid!)

Sharing Stitches By Chrissie Grace

The book can be pre-ordered here ... http://www.fwbookstore.com/product/sharing-stitches/new

Blurb:

Join Chrissie Grace and 15 talented artists as they exchange fabrics, collaborate on an art quilt and swap plenty of inspiration on the pages of Sharing Stitches. Stitch by stitch, Chrissie shows you how to create colorful and eclectic projects as unique as the group that sews them, including a patchwork pullover, a lace-embellished headband, a large-scale collaborative quilt and a round robin journal.
Inside Sharing Stitches, you'll find:

22 step-by-step projects designed specifically for swaps and collaborations Tips on swapping fabric, as well as hosting and participating in smoothly run collaborations Projects and gallery pieces from your favorite artists, including Claudine Hellmuth, Liz Lamoreux, Ruth Rae and more! Break out your sewing machine, round up your friends and start sewing! The lovely work by the artist Chrissy Grace can be found on Etsy and she also has produced two other books, which are well worth a look ... Wild Tiles By Chrissie Grace Tiles Gone Wild By Chrissie Grace Both are very inspirational and beautifully artistic yet concentrate primarily on mosaic designs.

Pillow Cases

Pretty Pillowcases

I also found time this week to make some pretty pillow cases from left over fabrics that I so wanted to use in a way that I should get to see lots of it!  Some lovely Laura Gunn, Robert Kauffman and Sevenberry Japan, edged with Lecien spots and ribbons, all that I have used in the past for gifts and swaps and now some all for me!

Lovely Colours

Colours To Cheer Any Bed

I did a pillow case swap earlier in the year and so enjoyed it ... it is a very easy way to make a colourful item and the range of fabrics out there makes it so easy to choose something interesting. I should love to take part in another - anybody offering to organize one??

NOTE: Do always make pillowcases in matching pairs but no room on my tiny line to show the others!

Fabric Cuffs

Pretty Fabric Cuffs

I have spent the past few days making Christmas items. Mostly small stocking gifts and tree decorations. I saw some lovely 'cuffs' on Etsy and felt that they were just the type of thing that young teenage girls would like and found them very easy to make and very pretty and original ... and perfect stocking fillers.

Ragged Twisted Cuffs

Fabric Scraps From Pincushion Swap Partner

Padded Cuff With Velcro Fastening

More Fiddly Satin Roses

Larger Satin Rose

Easy Cuffs

I found them fun to do (have now made ten in an afternoon) and very quick, simple and cheap.
I shall now embellish them with buttons and beads and a little embroidery to make them a little more special.

Needlecraft Book Giveaway

Another bloggie giveaway .... do take a look at     http://sewscrumptious.blogspot.com   The lovely needlecraft book is a very useful book to have on the shelf ... I want it, I want it, I want it ...

Lovely Giveaway Book

 Competition closes this Friday.

Passion Flower In The Rain

Sloshing About After The Rain

We have had the most amazing downpours over the past few days and the garden is simply dripping with water so I was very surprised this morning to find a passion flower still flowering in a sheltered spot in my garden. I have several growing in the boundaries among the trees and bushes and one prolific one growing on a pergola but at this time of the year most have finished flowering and turned to an inedible fruit, which is bright orange in colour and rather like a plum in size and shape. But this beauty is still clinging on to flower ...

Passiflora Caerulea - The Common Passionflower

Simple Dinner Party For Friends

 
A really simple yet lovely dinner party ... lets start with the flowers for the table shall we ... and maybe a Pimms?

Perfect Pimms

Simple Autumn Blooms

Courgette And Feta Starter

Salmon And Tomato Main Course

Make Summer Pudding

Cook Berries

Pop Them Together

Watch The Juices Sink Into The Bread

Pop A Weight On Top

Delicious Dessert

After two hours in the fridge, turn out and voila .... a lovely summer pudding for dessert.
And then ... a plate of lovely farmer's market home made soft cheese served with walnuts and grapes  ...

Macaroons

Lovely Coffee

More Simple Autumn Blooms

A lovely time was had by all!

Slurp!!

Macaroons

Macaroon Recipe.



I think I have fallen in love ... again ... only this time with the eye candy colours and sweet sumptuous taste of    Macaroons.   They have always been available in France in most patisseries but now seem to be available here in London in some of the more expensive food shops and cafes such as  The Laduree Café  in Harrods.  I think they may have taken over where cup cakes have left off and appear to be the new 'style food', as I am now seeing them everywhere. Unfortunately they are terribly expensive, costing anything from £2-£3 each and upwards,  so I thought that today I might just have a try at making some myself.

They Are Sold In All Colours And Flavours

I Can Just About Force Myself To Eat These

And These Are For Mr Whizz Kid

The simplest recipe that I have found seems to be this one ...

Multi Coloured And Multi Flavoured Macaroons

Ingredients 

175g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
3 large free-range egg whites
75g caster sugar

For the filling

150g butter, softened
75g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Whizz the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor to a very fine mixture, then sift into a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until thick and glossy. (At this point you can stir in flavour extract, such as peppermint or lemon, and corresponding colouring such as blue or yellow, to your meringue mixture, depending on what kind of macaroons you want.  Or divide the meringue among different bowls if you want to make more than one colour.)

3. Fold half the almond and icing sugar mixture into the meringue and mix well. Add the remaining half, making sure you use a spatula to cut and fold the mixture until it is shiny and has a thick, ribbon-like consistency as it falls from the spatula. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Pipe small rounds of the macaroon mixture, about 3cm across, onto the baking sheets. Give the baking sheets a sharp tap on the work surface to ensure a good ‘foot’. Leave to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to form a slight skin. This is important – you should be able to touch them lightly without any mixture sticking to your finger. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

5. Meanwhile, make the fillings. In a bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the icing sugar. (You can now add flavouring or nuts, and colour ) Use to sandwich pairs of macaroons together.

 

I will post some pictures when they are ready (and very quickly before they get eaten by the friends and family!)

I Want To Play A Game

Example

Example

I found a wonderful Flckr site - a huge pool of pics -  devoted to peoples daily drawings of 'What I Wore Today' and thought what a fun idea it was. I decided to give it a try to practice my drawing and also just for fun. I think it is great to know just what your online friends looks like and realize that most of us just do not want our photos online for all to see, however, a personal drawing seems fine and less intrusive.  I should love to see some drawings of you all - and don't worry my drawing skills are zilch!

Last Nights Supper - Pumpkin Risotto

Last nights dinner worked really well (see earlier blog about Pumpkin Risotto with the recipe) so thought you might like to see the finished result. Very yummy and well worth the effort.

Delicious Pumpkin Risotto

The crispy topping was chunks of fried and browned pumpkin sprinkled with chopped rosemary. This recipe served four but I could almost have eaten the whole of it myself as it was so very tasty! It was thick and creamy and very full flavoured. It took around forty minutes in total to prepare. A lovely all-in-one supper dish. Do give it a try.

Thank you Antonio Carluccio

Pin Cushion Arrival!

My lovely swap partner   Florrie   has sent my swap pincushion and it is so very beautiful. She has cross-stitched a lovely design and used my favourite colours of the moment - clever girl. This is what was in my lovely parcel ...

I Love Receiving Parcels!

Inside is the pretty pincushion, a vintage fat quarter of William Morris fabric, a huge pile of generous scrap fabrics, a lovely craft magazine and the prettiest pins you ever saw!

Beautifully Designed And Worked Pincushion

The pincushion is huge and so very pretty with my very favourite pinks and lime greens (I think she must have been peaking at my blog to realize just how much I love these colours!)

Pretty Blue And Red Background

The back is equally as pretty with a lovely blue fabric and a red dotty flower design - looks a bit like two Cath Kidston fabrics but really not sure.

Pretty Flower Embellishment

The pretty flower is far to good to be hidden under the pincushion and would make a lovely brooch! Very Poppy Treffry!

William Morris Fat Quarter

The lovely fabric is such a pretty design and will make something really special.

Pretty Pins

The pins are particularly pretty ...  but I think that the pincushion is far too pretty to actually have pins stuck into it!

Thank you so much Florrie   

Thank you for all the effort you have put into my beautiful pincushion swap.  I do so love these swaps!

Carluccio's Pumpkin Risotto

I must be feeling better! 

The Lovely Carluccio's

Yesterday I had a delicious lunch out with a friend in Carluccio's. For those who do not know this chain in the UK it is an Italian inspired cafe/restaurant (now only partly owned by Antonio Carluccio the brilliant Italian chef, writer and food critic), which does the most amazing food and has a superb deli on the premises, too. I ate the most delicious pumpkin risotto (Risotto di Zucca) and have been inspired to try and recreate it for Mr Whizz Kid. I found this recipe in one of Antonio's cookery books and think I shall give it a go tonight ... my own pics to come later if it turns out as well!

A Superb Pumpkin Risotto

Risotto di Zucca

Pumpkin Risotto

Taken From "Antonio Carluccio's Vegetables".

"Pumpkin risotto is one of those comforting dishes which can please anybody, including vegetarians (if the chicken stock is replaced by vegetable stock). This specific recipe comes from the kitchen of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. The chef, Renato Piccolotto, showed me his little secrets which I will now pass on to you. It is a wonderful dish".

Serves 4

600g (1 lb 5 oz) pumpkin flesh, chopped into very small chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
90g (3 1/4 oz) butter
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 finely chopped, 2 whole
1 garlic clove
1 small onion, finely chopped
300g (10 1/2 oz) carnaroli rice
1 litre (1 3/4 pints) chicken stock, hot
50g (1 3/4 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Salt and pepper to taste

"In a pan, heat the oil and a third of the butter, then add the whole sprigs of rosemary, the garlic clove and pumpkin. The pumpkin will automatically exude some liquid and so no water needs to be added. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin softens and dissolves. Remove the rosemary sprigs and garlic clove.

In another large pan, heat half the remaining butter and fry the onion gently until soft, then add the rice and fry equally gently, stirring continuously, for a few minutes. Add a little of the hot chicken stock and then the pumpkin mixture. Add more stock gradually until it is all used up and has been absorbed by the rice, stirring from time to time to avoid it sticking to the pan. Take off the heat and beat in the remaining butter and the Parmesan, and sprinkle with chopped rosemary".

Yum Yum

Selection Of  Pumpkins On Sale

Giveaway ... Sew Create It

Jane, over at   Sew Create It    has a Giveaway of a lovely needlecraft book. All you crafty ladies should really take a look before Friday 1st.

Needlecraft Book

I am totally useless at needlework - never having done any since my schooldays and desperately need some practice,  so please do not beat me to the book - as ... I want it, I want it, I want it!!

Pincushion Swap Completed

Boxed And Ready To Go

 This one is especially for Florrie!

Finished my 'Pincushion Swap' (kindly organized by Becky)  and this is all now ready for Mr Postie ...

Ready For The Post Man

Underside Quilted And Embellished

The Pincushion Top Embellished And Quilted

Bag Of Scraps

Fat Quarter

Rustic Heart

Rustic Heart

Good Will Card

New Craft Magazine

I do so hope that  Florrie  will like these things. (Next time, however, will definitely NOT be making fiddly satin roses - they took forever!) I am quite worried as Florrie looks very accomplished and I am a mere beginner! Anyway, shall try not to worry too much about that as I am SO looking forward to receiving mine. Please hurry up Mr Postie!