A productive day...

It's been a busy day, haircut this morning (it's a chore, I hate having it done but needs must.)  A quick Costa coffee and then back home waiting for my Mum's results on her endoscopy, an ongoing health concern and she now needs another in six weeks which is a little worrying, but they are keeping a check on things.

Back home to laundry, cleaning and making tea.  I have resisted trying to make pastry for 16 months as gluten free pastry is pretty awful to make right.  However, positive thinking today and I got three quiches made, one for this week, two for the freezer.

I got all the cutting for the Tula Pink Snowglobes quilt done.  You can see a little stitch plate, that's the straight stitch plate for the Bernina, that I managed to leave behind so a good friend posted it out to me, thanks Helen.

Out of a fat quarter bundle I had all this leftover so got the smaller pieces chopped ready into squares and rectangles to make a bag or two and the larger eighths that are left may make another quilt top with some added sashing.

A Merry Cox pattern arrived today, new to me but used, it is in excellent condition and is even signed by the author/designer.  I have been waiting a long time to get some of Merry's patterns so really pleased to have got this one from the nineties.

Gluten Free Pastry Recipe

The recipe I used was the following:-

450 grams Juvela

220 grams Stork Block Margerine

Pinch of Salt

1 tsp Xantham Gum

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

2 eggs, beaten

A little water

Mix all the dry ingredients until they resemble breadcrumbs.  Add the beaten egg and about a tablespoon of cold water and should be a soft mixture that can be handled without being sticky.  Sprinkle your worktop with Juvela flour.  This mixture makes enough to line three flan dishes.  Cut the mixture into three and knead each piece for about four minutes, you will feel the texture change and then you can roll out as you would the normal pastry mix.  Bake blind on gas mark 6 for 12 - 15 minutes.  Fill a filling of your choice, Salmon & Broccoli, Bacon, leek and mushroom, prawn, cheese and tomato.

Have a great week all and happy stitching :)

Tula Pink De La Luna

I couldn't resist the new Tula Pink De La Luna fabric - I am not going to tell you how much I bought, but this is the first project - The Snowglobes quilt pattern.

It was originally done in Tula Pink's Deadly Nightshade but I think it lends itself perfectly to the De La Luna collection.

The nature of the design means there is alot of fussy cutting the pieces as I want them to be the right way round when the quilt is put together.

The skulls work great with the sizes that you need to cut as well as the eye pattern.

The first of twelve blocks, there are four in pink, four in purple and four in turquoise.

I bought some extra fabric from the fat quarter shop in US and it arrived within four days of ordering.  In the UK there is also Sewhot and Flip Flop fabrics that are selling it and have it in stock.

I love the fabric but the hassle of getting it in this country from online retailer The Quilt Room has been a little bit - er - frought.  I won't be ordering from them again.  They cut the fabric down from what I ordered and didn't even bother to contact me to check that I didn't need it, sent a credit note to cover the difference but didn't have any of the fabric available for purchasing and anytime you ring - it's never the person you need, fortunately after a partial refund from the company, Paypal actually sorted out the refund properly so I didn't lose any money.  There is something to be said by using them for your purchases.  It wasn't a great day on Friday, our car got a flat and it took three hours waiting for the breakdown people to arrive because the inflation kit didn't work.  I am just pleased I wasn't on my own.  It has rain non stop since Friday so the plants and lakes are happy.

Herlid Viking Re-enactment Flag

This has been on my to do list for our eldest son to be displayed on his viking tent and to be used on parades.

The appliqued wild boar motif

The full green flag which has been edged and has a pocket for placing on a flagpole

The flag used by another member that our son has borrowed.

The Herlid Vikings original motif.

I think I worked out that there is about two million stitches used in the applique.  It measures about 18 inches across and twelve inches vertically.

It is the Heysham Viking Festival this weekend so it will be on our son's tent.

Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:-

3 large chicken breasts cut into large pieces

1 fresh pineapple cut into large pieces

1 red pepper cut into large pieces

1 yellow pepper cut into large pieces

1 onion cut into large pieces

6 mushrooms cut into quarters

1 pack of mangetout left whole

1 tin sliced water chestnuts

3 tablespoons GF cornflour

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

For the sauce:-

200ml orange juice

200ml apple juice

4 tablespoons GF tomato ketchup

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons GF dark soy sauce

Salt and Pepper

To serve:-

Boiled Rice or

GF Rice Noodles

Method:-

Heat the oil in a large saute pan and fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through.  Put aside in a dish to cool.

Fry the onion and peppers for four minutes, then add the mushrooms, pineapple, sliced water chestnuts and mangetout.  Cook for a further four or five minutes.

Add all the liquid ingredients into a jug and stir well.

Put the cooled chicken pieces into a bag with the cornflour and coat all the pieces.  Put the chicken into the pan with all the vegetables and cook for a further five minutes stirring occasionally.

Pour the liquid into the pan and stir well until all the chicken is coated with the sauce and it thickens and has a sheen to it.

Season to taste and serve piping hot with boiled rice or gluten free noodles or maybe even GF pasta.  Tesco do gluten free prawn crackers to serve as well,

Here, there and everywhere...

We have been very busy lately and I have not had the time to stitch so I thought I would share a little of what we did do .... Eat, very healthy, but out quite a few times.

We visited Eccleshall near Birmingham to pick up my sewing machine and stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast called Eagle House.  It was a stunning house and the owners were wonderful.  We had a meal out in the evening at a local pub, chicken supreme with mushroom and blue cheese sauce, green beans, shredded cooked cabbage and braised leeks with potato dauphinoise.  We also had chicken liver pate with gluten free bread to start with.

For breakfast the next morning this was what we came down to, an incredible selection of fresh fruit and cereals including gluten free.

The amount of fresh fruit was incredible, all freshly prepared on site by the owners.

I don't think I missed anything off my fruit platter, covering my seven a day and then a cooked gluten free breakfast which was just as delicious.  We can't wait to head back and take family as they would love it too.

We then moved on to Dundee to move our son into his new apartment and have a few days at our favourite stay - Westport Serviced Apartments for three nights.  We managed to do alot of walking and this was the view from the Dundee Law Monument which has views right around but this one is my favourite of the Tay Bridge over the River Tay.

We probably did too much whilst we were away and along with the heat my health has taken a little bit of a beating and I am now having a quiet few days to top up my energy stores.

Back to stitching later in the week.  Take care all :)

Bernina 440 QE Aurora Sewing Machine

Look at my new beauty...

I have waited a long time for this little bundle.  This is my birthday present (a little early by three months I know) and it arrived on Friday, after a little trip to Frank Knutt in Birmingham who had it advertised as second hand and used.

I mention the secondhand and used because after she was serviced and brought home I checked the hours count and found out that she has been used a grand total of 141 hours of stitching time since 2006.  She is absolutely immaculate and came with all of the usual accessories.

13 Bobbins, a straight stitch plate, a pack of Microtex needles, the maintenance tools and threading extras along with patchwork, blind hem, zig zag, freemotion and zipper feet.  I also got the Bernina Ruler Quilting Foot.

The Bernina Stitch Regulator (BSR) in the tin with three more foot attachments.

The three sole walking foot in it's original box.

I can't believe this is now in my house, a worth waiting for Bernina.  I have been told that she will be absolutely fantastic for my patchwork and freemotion quilting needs.

A HUGE thank you to my family for my birthday present, I love it.  Hope to be sharing a few projects soon after getting a little DIY done around the home and moved our son into his new digs in Scotland.  Happy stitching all and thanks for passing by :)