It's Tuesday and I can't wait...

...to share with you the recipe for a delicious slice I've been cooking recently. [I must tell you, it was given to me by my supremely talented sister. No, really, I must tell you - or she'll beat me up. LOL ..... just kidding, but not kidding about the 'talented' part!]

RASPBERRY AND MACADAMIA BLONDIES

Ingredients

125g (4 oz) butter

2 x 180g (6.35 oz) blocks white chocolate, chopped

1.5 cups plain flour, sifted

1/2 cup castor sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup chopped, toasted macadamias

1 punnet fresh raspberries (or 1 cup frozen raspberries)

Icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to moderate (180degrees C or 160 degrees C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 20cm square cake pan and line the base and sides with baking powder, extending paper 2cm above the edge.

2. Place butter and half the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave on low setting. Cool for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in flour, sugar, eggs, macadamias and remaining chopped chocolate until combined. Lightly fold raspberries through the mixture and then spread into prepared pan.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned and cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in pan before cutting into squares. Serve dusted with icing sugar. Makes about 16 slices.

ENJOY!

[If you’d like to join in the fun of “It’s Tuesday and I can’t wait…” pop over to ButtonsByLouLou where you’ll find the rules, as well as a list of all the bloggers who are playing.]

It’s Tuesday and I can’t wait …

…to see if people like the little lavender bears I’ve been making to sell at a charity day in a couple of weeks. I’m on a fundraising committee for a local private hospital, and our annual Bridge Day is coming up. As well as providing around 120 guests with elegant surroundings in which to play bridge with their friends, we serve a delicious home-cooked morning tea and lunch (with wine). There’s also a stall selling biscuits, jams and various handcrafted gifts, all made by our very enthusiastic committee members. I usually work “below stairs” cutting sandwiches in the kitchen, which is fun in a bustling kind of way, but this year will be delightfully different – I’ve been put in charge of the stall. You know how it is, though. No matter how many assurances that my fellow committee members are beavering away sewing goods, (and I know they are because we’ve had two very productive sewing days) there’s always that teensy little niggling thought that I might not have quite enough goods on the day. So I’ve been busy coming up with all sorts of items to add to the mix, and making a serious attempt at creating “silk purses” out of “sows’ ears” with the crazy assortment of donated fabrics at my disposal.I’m enjoying the challenge, and I’ll definitely run out of time before I run out of ideas. Every cent, of course, goes to the hospital, and every year I’ve been a part of it our committee has raised around $25,000 – enough to buy a much-needed piece of medical equipment.

Hope we can match that this year. I can’t wait!

[If you’d like to join in the fun of “It’s Tuesday and I can’t wait…” pop over to ButtonsByLouLou where you’ll find the rules, as well as a list of all the bloggers who are playing.]

It’s Tuesday (or at least it was until half an hour ago) and I can’t wait…

…to start work on the next border of my Snowflake Medallion quilt.   Here’s my central medallion, all ready for the next step.  Linda has already posted a picture of her central medallion, looking all modern and vibrant in dotty purples and greens, and I have (more than) a little catching up to do.

My applique is a little lumpy and bumpy, but I’m enjoying the process and trying not to become too anxious about every tiny curve.  As always, I’m going for overall effect (frantically rationalising here).  I’ve tried many applique techniques over the years, with varying degrees of success.  This time Linda and I are using the back-basting method which certainly cuts down on the preparation and is generally working for me. 

When I’ve completed the quilt I’ll let you know if it’s my new method of choice – the jury’s still out on that one.

[If you’d like to join in the fun of “It’s Tuesday and I can’t wait…” pop over to ButtonsByLouLou where you’ll find the rules, as well as a list of all the bloggers who are playing.]

Giveaway!

One of my very favourite blogs, which I've been following for quite some time, is V and Co. Vanessa has such a refreshing attitude to life, matched by her decorating style. She's a mother of 4 who still finds time to create quilts that just sparkle - and really inspire me.

Right now she is having a rather special giveaway, so pop over to her blog.

Off you go.

Spoil my chances of winning. See if I care (slouches off in a huff..... ;-))

You little beauty!

Not all the prize-winning quilts were big and spectacular.

My friend, Pennie Griffiths, won first prize in the Miniature category for her hand-pieced hexagon quilt "Because I Can". How big do you think those hexies are?

3/16 inch!!!!!! The rosette was larger than the quilt – good grief!!!

Congratulations, Pennie, although you may need new glasses after that magnificent effort.

Note: In case you're wondering, I did obtain Pennie's permission to publish these photos here. The Quilt Show catalogue explicitly states that photos of the quilts must not be published without permission from the quilt owners.

Honestly, they followed me home

I'm like a kid in a candy shop when I go to the Quilt and Craft Fair. This year I had a shopping list so I wouldn't succumb to extras. But ... umm...you know how it is. A cute little fat quarter here, and another one there...

Suddenly there were six of them (not all destined for the one project I might add). Those voluptuous pink roses will add a little je ne sais quoi to my next quilt, large pieced hexagons. I didn't actually need more roses fabric, but then... it is gorgeous, isn't it?

I would have to say this was the year pre-cuts made the biggest splash at the fair. Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes and Charm Squares were everywhere, looking delicious and inviting. Gay Taylor who runs Just Patchwork at Tuncurry has made the cleverest set of 3 templates for easy and no-waste cutting of Jelly Rolls – so I had to have those!

Then there was the excitement of meeting up with so many friends, including Blogless Di who bought a beautiful new sewing machine. She's well and truly caught this quilting bug!

Pop on over to the Quilters' Guild of NSW to see the magnificent quilt that won Best of Show, as well as the other main winners. Let me tell you what you won't see, though.

Not content with appliqueeing beautiful swags, bluebirds and ribbons to the front of the quilt – and executing the most exquisitely fine hand quilting (stippling like you would not believe!) – Wendy Smith has applied a flock (?) of delicate butterflies in broderie perse all across the back of her quilt. The effect is just stunning!

After gasping at Mariya Waters' back-of-quilt treatment on her show-stopping Renaissance Revival two years ago (all the quilting couched in gold thread), are we to expect to see more surprises behind future prize-winning quilts?

It’s Tuesday and I can’t wait….

…for tomorrow and the Sydney Quilt and Craft Fair at Darling Harbour!

Early in the morning I’ll be pulling on my walking shoes and heading off for a day of inspiration (and a little shopping!).

My intention is to arrive in time for the Quilt Show prize-giving – I wonder if I’ll see any of my friends in the winners’ circle this year (before I head off to do some shopping!) And I have my workshops all chosen (though I must remember to allow enough time for shopping!)

If you’d like to join in the fun of “It’s Tuesday and I can’t wait…” pop over to ButtonsByLouLou where you’ll find a list of all the bloggers who’re playing.

Stop Press! We have a new winner!

In an extraordinary act of generosity, our initial winner Pauline has instructed me to draw another winner since she owns a fabric store herself (lucky girl!) and already has a ready source of Chocolat fabric. How sweet is that?

So I scampered back to the old Random Number Generator, cranked it up and came up with...

Number 62, Jean from Terrigal who said "Love your blog, Di and the party giveaway is just gorgeous!" I happen to know she'll make very good use of all these items as Jean is a prolific and talented quilter.

Jean, I don't have your email so would you please contact me with your snail mail address so I can pop your prizes in the mail in the next couple of days.

My little blog seems to be surrounded by generosity these days. Only a couple of months ago Lindi performed her own Random Act of Kindness - and now it's been Pauline's turn. Thank you very much.

I have the nicest readers!

I've done the draw and the winner is...

Pauline, from Calico Crossroads!

Congratulations, Pauline! I hope you enjoy your chockies, pincushion and threadcatcher (or chockie wrapper catcher!) while you create something fabulous with your Moda Chocolat fabric.

And to everyone else...

I've been absolutely overwhelmed by all your visits to my blog over the last few weeks, and I'm so glad you liked my little handmade items. I want to thank you, one and all, for taking the time to leave lovely comments - I wish I could give you all a prize - and I hope you'll pop back here in future.

In the meantime, let's all enjoy Sarah's new SEWN site - launching later this afternoon!

Such excitement!

The fabrics are in my favourite colours of pink and green, and they're gorgeous...

...and the accompanying pattern for a mini-quilt has been inspired by the fabulous quilt Jane Austen made, which hangs in her house in the village of Chawton

(I've been making my own version of the Jane Austen quilt for quite a few years now..but we won't talk about that :-)).

So I was very excited when I received my little parcel from Tilde Binger this week, all the way from Denmark. I won it a few weeks ago in the big Inklingo giveaway - and it's my very first giveaway win!

Tilde designed this pretty pattern herself, and has helpfully used Inklingo to print the pattern pieces on the back of the fabrics, all ready for me to cut and stitch.

Thank you very much, Tilde - you are so clever!