Sago on Tuesdays

TEA-STAIN TUTORIAL

2012-02-01T17:32:00.000+11:00

As promised, here's a pic-by-pic of my tea-staining paper for some leather wrap journals. There are many methods, and I use various myself, but I haven't seen this one about, so I'll show it today. Just some lined notepaper today, for demo purposes, but I use all sorts of paper in this process, watercolour, cotton rag, hand made, smooth... I'll try to answer questions in comments later, then update the tute before putting it in the tutorial section of the website.

YOU'LL NEED:

paper - any type and size that will fit into/between your trays
teabags - cheaper the better, as you don't have to drink it! I used 20 doubles for this lot.
Bi-carb soda - this is to tone down the acidity of the resulting tea-water (paper doesnt like low pH)
Perforated trays - from a 'cheap-shop'; as many as you want; a once-off cost
Tub - that will fit all trays to submerge the paper ( stople this one from my son!)
Jug - not specific, but handy, especially if the resulting tub of tea is too heavy to move
old towel/rag (not pictured) - to put trays on from out of the tea... learned this the hard way
[bookpress or bookboard and weights - for flattening paper at the end]

Add bi-carb and stir. Amount is not exact, but I put about half a cup. If you are really keen, or want to be strictly archival, test the water if you have a pH kit and work the amounts to suit - more bi-carb means less acidic.

Put teabags into the warm/hot water in the tub. Don't be shy - add heaps as you'll use this water for a fews days for many sheets in one go - it's the best way. As the tea ages, the colour gets richer and the effects more random - yippee. Let it steep for an hour or so. it's worth the wait.

Put one sheet of paper into each tray and stack the trays. Leave the top tray without paper, since it'd just float around and be a nuisance.

Gather teabags in the tub to one side and put the tray stack into the tea. Go slow - it'll burble as the tea flows between the trays. You might like to let each tray separate a little as you do this, to make sure no airbubbles are trapped (which would leave an unstained white blotch on your paper). Put the tea bags into the tray on top. As time goes on, more tea comes out of the leaves and 'settles' between the trays - more randomness - Yippee.

After a couple of hours in the tea bath, carefully take tray stack out, draining as you go, onto the old towel. Take it outside and separate the trays to dry in the air (no pic of this.. forgot.. oops.. I'll upload one later).

When the papers are dry (depending on the weather/temp), take paper from trays and 'reload' trays with more paper to stain and return to the tea bath.

Your tea-stained paper will have many different effects, depending on the strength of tea, how long they were in, the temp when drying, the pattern on your trays (flat bottom trays without holes are fine, but take ages to dry), the paper grain you started with.... I had some Eucalyptus leaves fall off into the trays as they dried, which left imprints... love that.

Now it just has to go into the bookpress for a while to straight out the kinks and let the paper fibres rest (makes the paper not so stiff to work with)

I get chills every time the paper comes out - just never know what you are going to get.

I'm keen to answer questions and get feedback, so I can clean up the tutorial before I put it on the permanent page.

So, what do you think?

Dinner from the Seasonal Garden

2012-01-30T19:04:00.000+11:00

To the untrained eye, this may seem like just chicken bits with rough-chopped vegies from the garden, olive oil, saltflakes and cracked pepper lazily dumped on top.

But to the Seasonal Kitchen Connoisseur, it is unmistakably chicken bits with rough-chopped vegies from the garden, olive oil, saltflakes and cracked pepper lazily dumped on top....

and...... cracked coriander seeds....from the garden. [teehee]

Recipe (as if you needed one!)

- Local free range chook thighs (the tastiest part of a chook, I think)
- Summer veg, picked about 4 minutes prior! (tomatos, zucchini, basil and capsicum)
- Aussie olive oil (the best in the world, not that I'm biased!)
- local pink Murray salt flakes
- cracked pepper
-cracked coriander seeds (from our garden), in an old grinder that ran out of pepper.

Cut into big bits, dump into baking dish, in oven for 30mins at 180C.

~Happy days~

Do you need a picture of it once cooked?.... nah, scrub that, I couldn't be bothered.... ;o)

testing, testing, one two...

2012-01-27T19:45:00.001+11:00

... just testing my email notifications, folks...nothing to see here..... move along, move along.....

Australia's famous funny Australia Day lamb TV ad.

2012-01-26T22:00:00.000+11:00

... we missed Sam Kekavich's TV ad for Australian lamb this year, so I had to find it on Youtube. .

It was started in 2005 for the Australian Lamb Industry marketing group, but was so funny and well received that it has been done in one form or another each year since then. Sam is a TV sports presenter and comedian. His character is known as brash, offensive and very 'occa' (rough Aussie). It's quite Aussie in humour, so might be tricky for others, but here it is. Each year gets more elaborate.

Aussies abroad, this one's for you!! x

Original Ad, 2005..

http://youtu.be/3dqsyXPkG3I

2006...

http://youtu.be/a3w2xHOkhmY

2007 ...

http://youtu.be/SkUnemSg3dg

2008 ...

http://youtu.be/FPGSs56lZEQ

2009 ...

http://youtu.be/73PjxbS-pXM

2010

http://youtu.be/HrsoXbSZIbo

2011

http://youtu.be/1C89osd7Eic

2012

http://youtu.be/k81_KP56oL0

Australia Day 2012

2012-01-26T21:36:00.001+11:00

Happy Australia Day to all Aussies, both at home and abroad.

It was a beautiful day around the country, except in parts of QLD along the Tweed river, where the great lady threw her rainy whim across the land and reminded us of that wonderfully evocative poem, 'My Country' by Dorothea Mackellar that speaks so of our majestic land.

My family began the day in our Napoleons community hall, at 7.30am [!], with a cooked breakfast, neighbourly company of a couple of hundred people, an olde time band, and a flag-raising to mark the occasion. It's an annual event that locals look forward, and many return to from having moved afar.

Since we have built our home on the site of the old schoolhouse, we had various visitors keen to check out the old girl and see how she was repaired and renovated (pics above are the BEFOREs), and how we have settled into the property and the community. It was a right mess when we got it - inside there were birds, bees, wasps, rabbits, spiders and ivy all calling it home; windows smashed, lights stolen, chimney dripping with damp, carpet burned and eight coats of odd coloured paint over the original lime wash.

Now it's the Sago bindery. It's not quite set up yet, but here are some photos of it just after fixing and painting... It's lovely that people are keen to visit and reconnect with the school. So many students have learned here, and their children, and THEIR children... from 1870 to just 9 years ago, the old schoolhouse was the centre of town.

We hope to open it up each Australia Day, raise a flag, plant things in the garden that people remember, play cricket on the old oval, and share some time for Napoleons people to feel welcome to come and visit their schoolhouse and laugh about old times.

I intend to blog each January 26th, to see the day grow, and the schoolhouse come alive again.

Happy Australia Day.

Paper treats for PAPER FRIDAY

2012-01-20T08:50:00.000+11:00

There's going to be much more leather work and boxed personal writing sets in the bindery in 2012 (more on that in a later post), and I can't wait to get started. I am going to be using the most gorgeous paper for the ends and giftcard accompaniments from a wonderful paper company based in New York, called Caskata.

The texture of the paper is divine, and tempts you to touch. You'll want to keep one of the cards to frame, such is the visual grace of the print.

Congratulations go to the designer, Shawn Laughlin, for her attention to beautiful detail and colour. Her New England Garden style is well placed to become a Sago bindery favourite.

I'll be doing some trial journal sets coming up soon. I'll show you some inlay work in the tutorial section. Perhaps you could submit your email for secure updates..

YIPPEE ~ EMAIL UPDATES ARE HERE.

2012-01-20T07:56:00.000+11:00

You see a great blog or website..

You want to keep up to date with their posts..

You add them to your favourites, and loyally become a 'follower'..

... by rights, that should be enough to then instantly have their latest and greatest arrive to you magically from the blog-o-sphere, but unfortuately it doesn't happen that way yet.

THE ANSWER is the sign up to email updates via a SECURE subscription service that doesnt spam you.

~ Sago on Tuesdays now has a secure email update service. Sign up via the submit button on the right sidebar of the website ~

VEGIE HEAVEN HAS ARRIVED ~ VISIT THE TOMATO BED. ITS SO PERRRRRDY!

2012-01-17T17:54:00.000+11:00

You may well be aware that we have these last two months been living in our new home behind the Old School where the Sago bindery is. With newly planted orchard and raised vegie beds, it has felt like a true coming of age for our first home summer harvest to be served at the family dinner table.

This is the Solanum (Tomato family) bed. It has tomatoes along one side, underplanted with marigolds to keep nasty nematodes away (I'll chop them into the soil at the end, which keeps them away even longer), capsicums down the other, with basil in the centre. Basil and toms are great neighbours, with each benefiting from the soil residues of the other. Perhaps thats why basil and toms taste so darn good together!

Notice also that I remove leaf sets below and between fruiting sets. This is to concentrate growth where it matters. I also remove all nodal shoots, as they only detract from the growth of the fruit, and leave the plant with so many side branches that it's hard to keep airflow around it and have it staked properly. See how the plants are all different heights? That's cause we planted them out two weeks apart, so we don't end up with boom and bust harvest. I water with the spray nozzle off, below the mulch so as not to splash the toms (mud splash equals rust), and the dark patches on the mulch is coffee grounds, which keep snails away from my basil.

The pretties of the landscape havent been completed, nor the grassed areas leveled, nor the driveway built, but I don't care. With hopes to become totally self-sustaining in fruit and veg, the asthaetics will surely take care of themselves over time. Hey, and that 'Giant Russian' sunflower on the left is 3m tall!

Next time, we'll check out the Cucurbits bed - Zucchinis, Cucumbers..... Mmmmmmm

"HOLD ME DOWN, MISS JANE, IT'S PAPER FRIDAY"

2012-01-13T17:30:00.000+11:00

Inspired by Karen at Sew Well Maide, I have decided to review some favourite papers I use to cover my bindings. With so many beautiful designs around, there is something for all tastes.

One of my favourite suppliers is October Afternoon, from the USA. The paper is a thicker weight than many, which is lovely to work with. It cuts beautifully, and doesn't mark the instant you even look at it. It's beautiful to feel and handle in the finished product, and the double-sided designs are versatile, and save money - two coordinating designs in one. That's great for me when I want to use them as signature folders (like in Jarrod's journal), as ugly white on one side just won't do. Their work has a distinctly fun vintage feel, and this latest range is called 'Farmhouse'.

The shipment arrived recently, sitting in the box over Christmas, beckoning for me to gawk at, fondle and generally covet (that's wrong and bad, I know!). Journals, albums and wall art await it's charms. Once the kidlets are back at school, I can get started.

For now, it's sketching and dreaming up the possibilities when I have a few moments alone (yes, you probably noticed by now I do a lot of thinking at the kitchen table).

Anyone for coffee and biscotti?

A Journal for Jarred

2012-01-02T12:30:00.001+11:00

This is the sewing stage of a journal I made for Karen to give to her son, Jarred, for Christmas. It has decorative cardstock around each signature, so that the journal will naturally open to 'chapters', but without clumsy tabs or other obvious dividers.

Sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Lior playing in the background, and enjoying some mid-afternoon peace as the family go off Christmas shopping [cricket sounds]... aaah, the tranquility!

See - no-one here... 'cept me...

I totally forgot to take a photo of the finished product [insert vacant expression], but Karen has nicely promised to get Jarred to take some pics and send them.. I'll update this post when they come :o)

Latest from the bindery ~ARTONTHEGO~ watercolour journals in Nordic Festive Blue

2011-12-31T07:43:00.002+11:00

I first made this satchel-sized art journal for a friend of my mums to travel with.

It is about 5.5" square and filled with paper that loves both dry media and light watercolour.

They have proven popular since then with people who want to sketch as they travel, paint in the park, on the train, or even on the steps of Flinders Street Station in Melbourne [yes, Michael, that's you!] whilst watching the interesting people and daily life pass by.

I've been making and selling them in pairs, since it seems most people want them in pairs (often to share with a travel companion). These ones are available now at the Etsy store. See my SHOP tab.

Thanks go to Marg, whose idea it was to make the smaller size.

100SALES GIVEAWAY UPDATE ~ 23 TO GO!

2011-12-24T21:00:00.001+11:00

*** 23 to go - Karen is in again ***

If you purchase again, you are in the draw again too - seems only fair :o)

For details of the big giveaway, see:
http://www.sagoontuesdays.com.au/2011/12/my-first-giveaway-im-so-excited.html

100SALES GIVEAWAY UPDATE ~ 24 TO GO!

2011-12-22T11:40:00.000+11:00

*** 24 to go - Kate is in :o) ***

As the draw for this lovely personalized prize gets closer, I get more excited about who might win. Purchase from my Etsy store (see the 'SHOP' tab) before the 100th sale and you'll be in the running too.

GIVEAWAY UPDATE ~ 25 TO GO :o)

2011-12-18T12:08:00.002+11:00

25 to go - Karen is in :o)

GIVEAWAY UPDATE - 26 TO GO

2011-12-14T13:50:00.001+11:00

26 to go - Beverley is in :o)

GIVEAWAY UPDATE

2011-12-13T08:52:00.002+11:00

27 to go - Anna is in :o)

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY - I'M SO EXCITED

2011-12-12T10:16:00.002+11:00

GIVEAWAY ~THE IMPORTANT STUFF:

Occasion: celebrating my Etsy sales and the support of lovely customers
Prize: this hand bound guest book /art watercolour journal, valued at $100, including postage to anywhere, worldwide and custom title panel and bookplates.
Entry: my first 100 Etsy customers are in the draw
(72 down, 28 to go, so be quick, and spread the word)
Updates: I'll give reminders on Facebook, Etsy and this website.
Draw: The winning sale number will be drawn at random and the winner notified within one week of my 100th sale

GIVEAWAY~THE WAFFLY BIT:

Though I still sell many of my bound books privately, I am using the Etsy marketplace more and more, and I'm very happy with how it's going. The Paypal facility is wonderful for overseas customers, and my mobile etsy app lets me keep in touch with customers and sales so smoothly, even when I'm out and about.

I have done well so far, and would like to celebrate by offering this giveaway to one lucky customer from the pool of my first 100 sales. It doesn't matter how much you spent on each purchase, and if you buy more than one listing, you get more than one entry.. seems fair to me :o)

The great thing for me is that I'll have the winner's post details already. I'll even personalise the book for the winner, if they choose, with a custom bookplate in the front cover.
I'd like to do this giveaway for every 100 sales. I'm already excited to think about what to make for the next one!

Aaaaaw, thanks ...

2011-12-01T15:12:00.001+11:00

Don't you just love it when your customers tell you how

much they love your hand made things.

The best for me is hearing stories about how they use their albums,

their art journals and rebound books,

often in ways I had never imagined...

...like Gus and Denise from Melbourne, who will be doing painting together for the first time with their journals when they travel back to Greece after 17 years in Australia; their first trip as a retired couple...

...or a Sydney mum who is using wedding guest books to post around the country from relative to relative so people can write, paste, decorate and create memories and jottings for their newly married children to enjoy reading on the big day..

...or Karen who shows her oldest children how much she'll miss them by gifting journals that they'll keep forever and document their journey through their youth - their ambitions and adventures...

Not only the stories, but the joy of such a tangible, tactile and personal item that you can pour your soul into. It really is a pleasure to make these things for you.

So I say thank you.

~NOTESONTHEGO~ more styles to choose from

2011-11-19T11:44:00.001+11:00

Here are the rest of the notebook sets listed today.
More to choose from soon, but these are a nice little start..

Blokey sets of 3, for my lovely hubby who reminded me that "Blokes write notes too, you know!"..

some mid-century mustard has the Eames feel ...

Bound, double-hinged matching pairs for Christmas ...

..and pretty butterflies for girls..

Something for everyone, even the person you forgot to buy for (there is always one, isn' there!)

Finally here ~ NOTESONTHEGO~ yeehaa

2011-11-19T10:29:00.001+11:00

After much ado, roadtesting, tweaking and sampling, NOTESONTHEGO tear-out bound notepad sets are finally listed for sale on Etsy.

In the Christmas gifts under $20 category, they'll be perfect for stockings, KrisKringles and 'Crap, I just KNOW I forgot someone!'. More styles to come :o)

Carry them about. Show them off. Write them out. Tear them out. Give them out.
___________________________________________________________

THE DETAILS...
3 notepads with tear-out pages
Size is approximately 3 x 3.25"
Black Arbelave Buchram cloth binding at the hinge, for stength and durability
Three coordinating paper designs, in a Retro style.
Paper is premium 80gsm acid free satin grain, in alabastar
Cover paper is acid free premium patterned cardstock in 200 gsm from the Basic Grey 'Offbeat collection.
Hand cut, padded, bound and rounded by me in the bindery
___________________________________________________________

Know that when you purchase from the bindery, you are supporting traditional skills from a family heritage in bookbinding and paper arts.

Notebooks - Idea #2

2011-10-13T19:08:00.002+11:00

Here is the second incarnation of the notebooks that friends are roadtesting for me at the moment.

Apparently, they are doing beautifully - withstanding the rough and tough life of a handbag notebook, with leaves tearing out easily for fast note-jotting action, wowing passers-by with flash cover papers, and even handling the pressure of the cafe toddler drawing.

The paper is from the Basic Grey collection called 'Offbeat' - very retro, very nice.

These notebooks will be in the shop, and Etsy, very soon.

They come in sets of three, and in the 'gifts under $20' category for Christmas, these will hit the spot beautifully for Christmas stockings, work party pressies, youngsters on the go, and that extra little something you have set aside for the unthinkable - the person you forgot to buy for!!

SUNDAY STASH, week 1 ~ a sneak peek at new jotter notebooks from the bindery

2011-10-01T15:43:00.002+10:00

My first SUNDAY STASH - yippee - I can't wait to share my papers, fabrics, and shnazzy little bitsnpieces that come along. Markets, online treasure-troves and surprise finds - HEAR I COME!

Here are the cover papers I have lined up for my new notebooks - just sneak peeks today - They are being road-tested by my pals over at SewWellMaide and BallaratPatchwork. so we can tweak bits to get the most useful design.

These great papers are from Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon and My Mind's Eye (see my Links pages), and I'll team them with lovely cream and blue notepaper, and black Buckram binding cloth from Winterbottoms to make them strong and handbag-tough.

The padding process is a bit lengthy, with 4 or 5 layers of the rubbery compound I use to glue the paper into pads, with spacers and reinforcing, so that you can easily tear leaves from your notebooks.

Decorative cutters give a little shnazz, so you'll be happy to carry them about in the poshest of company... or just with your run-o-the-mill-mates (tehe).

Look out for them in the Shop, or on Etsy - coming up to Christmas, they'll make great Kris Kringle gifts, grown-up party favours or thankyou pressies.

The Macdonald family favourite meal - Crackled Pork Rashers

2011-10-01T14:44:00.000+10:00

At the request of my youngest (6), I am posting a picture of our families' "most favouritist dinner". It's so easy to make, and they demolish it like it was their last meal.

I ask the butcher to cut a pork belly piece cross-ways (into pork rashers), so that the scored skin runs across the slices (and unlike pork ribs, there are no bones for little ones to navigate).

A little olive oil, seasalt and cracked pepper rubbed into the scored skin, and they go into a HOT pan all standing up together on their skin backs. Most of the cooking is done like this until the last minute, when skins have been nicely crispy-rendered into 'crackle', and I push the rashers over onto one side to colour them up (ONE side - don't be tempted to turn them and do the other side as well, as it will dry them out terribly).

Served on top of baby spinach, with steamed rice and snow peas on the side - I sit the snowpeas on top of the rice at the resting stage of it's cooking with the lid on, so that they just wilt, not cook to floppy.

We use a little Beerenberg sticky rib sauce on the pork, just to make it as easy dinner option, but you could make up your favourite pork sauce as you like.

Pardon the ameteur photo, but Mr 6 told me to take it AFTER I served up dinner, so it's not special - just how we usually have it :o)

TOP TIP FOR BOOKBINDERS EVERYWHERE

2011-09-29T20:42:00.001+10:00

OK, so I was looking for a replacement glue brush after losing my old one (long story - not today) and with no time to order one, I got desparate - urh - creative.

I looked around the art stores - no luck. Harware store - Grrrr. Cheapshop - BINGO!!! A man's shaving brush - no joke.

At first, I thought it would just be a standin, but it is so handy, and I can sit it on it's bum/handle between uses, it's hoggish bristles are as good as any specialized one I've forked out squillions for, washes out beautifully, sits great in your paw with no wrist-pain after long stints... no drawbacks at all yet, and now I am always on the lookout for great new ones.

Try it - seriously.

New Avatar and buttons

2011-09-17T08:51:00.003+10:00

Here is the new SAGO profile avatar I worked on last night. It uses the same background picture as my custom orders in the Shop (and it's in the banner above too), and I also tweaked it to use for the Online Network buttons (on the sidebar =>=>), so it's all now consistent. Yippee! I used my picture as the background in photoshop, then layered text fonts on top - the best bit is that I can change the background picture if I get tired of the stitched textblock I'm using now. Thanks go to the friendly tech-head who suggested I change the buttons (you know who you are!), and to my youngest, who picked out the background photo to use - from an approved shortlist of course!
Now to work on that pesky caching problem over at Facebook - Grrr - and my RHS sidebar is too wide - Grrr - aah well, one step at a time. I'm sure I'll fiddle with it all many times before I'm finished! Think I'll sew some bookblocks to get into a happy rhythm again.

The house is really coming along now

2011-09-12T12:28:00.001+10:00

I have had many kind messages asking for an update on how our new house is getting on, so here it is..

We are due to move in at the end of October. I can't wait. The kids have been so good, sharing a room (not easy, with one 6 and one 13) in our temporary rental. They'll be glad to have their own space, I know. It also means that hubby will be closer to the workshop for his work each day, and I'll finally have the bindery to myself again, rather than sharing it with all our stored family 'stuff'.

The style of house is to go with the old schoolhouse, now bindery, that was built in 1910, with a remanant 1870 chimney and a 1960 add-on. So, the house looks like a simplified Federation style, with trims and fixtures that echo the simple public building look of the schoolhouse.

Outside, we have red brick, gal roof, symmetrical windows, rendered sills (wanted bluestone sills, but too pricey), and eventually, some decorative gable trims, brackets and verandah fretwork - nothing too frilly - just enough to settle the house down into it's era.

Inside, there are high ceilings, opening transoms over doors, antique white walls, black skirtings, black light fittings, timber floors, compressed vynil tile in the kitchen, floor to ceiling bookshelf, wood heater/cooker and acrylic benches that are the colour of oldfashioned terrazzo stone.. photos to come maybe :o)

Anyhow, it feels great to see it come together as we'd planned, and the process, despite warnings and horror stories from others who have built, has been a dream so far. A great builder, Greg Smith Homes in Ballarat, makes all the difference. Being rediculously organised and making decisions early has been a blessing too.

Fingers crossed that it'll be finished soon - it's a bit like being pregnant - the closer the end comes, the more you just want it over and have the prize at the end to hurry up!

The ARTFUL COMPANION - a new line at the bindery

2011-09-09T16:56:00.002+10:00

Beautifully tactile, tangible papers to collect creativity.

I have made smaller artist sketchbooks and pocketbooks at the bindery that fit easily into pockets and satchels, but by request, we went a little bigger this time with the full A4 landscape sized dry medium and light water wash artist workbook.

They went so well, I went beyond the custom order and made some more in various other gorgeous papers. I have chosen red endpapers that really POP out from inside the cover.

The drop spine means you can open it right up, and the strong Arbelave Buckram bookcloth is easy to grip.

I'll definitely be making more of these.

You can find them in the shop now.

BINDING MATERIALS & TEXTURES TO LOVE IN AUGUST

2011-08-30T21:36:00.001+10:00

My latest most favourite cover textures and designs are... [drum roll]

* Softened calf leather, from Leffler Leather, for my soft bound Stockman's Pocket books

* Fancy Pants paper, from the "It's the little things" collection in the Sunday Pace journals

* Bazzill Paper embossed colours, from the "Dotted Swiss" range, making beautifully tactile endpapers

* the botanical pages of "Gardeners Seeds" paper from Websters Pages - perfect for a garden album journal.

so much great stuff to work with.

I have my eye on some great papers with a Travel theme for next month,

and some yummy food-themed patterns just begging to feature in recipe binds.

Stay tuned...

TAKING A MOMENT TO REMEMBER MY DAD

2011-08-20T23:09:00.003+10:00

This is a photo of my Dad taking a spell with my oldest son when he was just a toddler. They had been building a timber garden bed together, and stopped for a drink and a moment sitting on a box on the front doorstep. Dad was explaining to him the difference between wood and timber. It's my favourite picture of my Dad.

My Dad died this year in May. I didn't blog for a while after that. I wanted to write something nice in a post in tribute, but the words didn't come.

My Dad was a great father, a thoroughly decent bloke and a talented tradesman. He was of few words, but taught me many life lessons that our children learn in turn each day from me. That's the way of things. There are other things though that I am grateful for - little things that I learned from him when I was just a tot that will help me enjoy and appreciate life now long after he's gone...

He taught me how to whistle - really loud - without using my fingers. I like that.

We went fishing together, and he told me he was proud of my hook and worm skills. Handy to know.

I inherited his habit - to hum and whistle constantly - often with no discernable tune - it's really irritating, but I don't care.

I love the simplicity of a timber houseframe, the calming qualities of vegie gardening, the elegance of well maintained machinery, and a rippa home made pastie or lamb and pearl barley soup.

He also taught me my first poem:

"I saw a fly,

upon the wall,

It flew away,

and that was all"

And my second:

"The boy stood on the burning deck,

Picking his nose like mad,

Rolling it up into little balls,

And flicking it at his dad!"

[I also learned the second verse about the mum - you can guess how it goes!]

I'm so glad he got to know our boys, and they had a chance to know him. Little brother has a beautiful new family that got to know him too - twice blessed. Hubby and I are grateful that we could all be here for him at the end, and for my mum, who is now challenged with a life on her own much soon than she planned.

***********************

More than anything else, he was a practical bloke who mainly believed in getting on with life and living honestly, making the most of what you have, with the people you love.

I can do that.

ORGAN DONORSHIP - an important conversation

2011-01-03T15:53:00.002+11:00

Q: Would you be prepared to receive a donated organ if your life depended on it?

Q: If so, then would you also be prepared to give one when you die?

In Australia, regardless of what you want to donate from your body when you die, your family has ultimate vito rights, and must give their consent before it can happen. How can they be confident it's what you want if you haven't told them?

Did you know that about 80% of Australians say they believe that organ donorship is important, but less than 40% say they have told their families about their donorhsip wishes.

Here is the link to the Australian Organ Donorship Registry, but registering doesn't matter a sod if you don't tell your family.
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/aodr/register.jsp

Have the conversation - today.

Aprons, friends and a Bride-to-be

2010-11-27T16:47:00.001+11:00

Here's a nice idea for a bridal shower - get together a gaggle of friends and cook up a storm with a whole afternoon of cupcakes, bickies, champagne and coloured icing.

Then, to make it really special, give each lovely lady a vintage half-apron to wear on the day and take home to adore and use again.

Great idea, yeah?.... wish I'd thought of it!

One of my Etsy customers is having a bridal shower that'll be sure to delight, and she has asked me to gather the aprons for her to give as gifts. My collection is still too big to keep a handle on, so I am having a lovely time choosing treasures to pass on. The collection isn't complete yet, but once it is all together, I'll pack it into a lovely big box with tissue paper and send it to the girls. What fun, opening it up at the party!

Main Road Market, Ballarat DEC12th

2010-11-20T21:50:00.001+11:00

The latest installment in a swag of fantastic reasons to visit Ballarat.

Dec 12th, Main Rd, Bakery Hill in Ballarat Central

Main Road Market

I'll be there, drinking lemonade, eating cupcakes

and hunting for treasures :o)

Busy as blazers at the Old School, but still here

2010-11-19T10:58:00.001+11:00

So much has been happening, that I fell off the Bloggersphere for a spell, but I'm back :o)

Short version of what's on at the moment:

- packing to move house

- selling our house

- planning to build our new one

- quilting for my brother's soon-to-be-baby-girl

- spring (our family business silly season)

- oldest child's chess championships

- youngest child preparing for starting school next year

- building productive garden at the 'Old School' (our new house block is the site of an old primary school)

- renovating the old Schoolhouse

Gosh, it seems a lot even to me when you actually make a list!

People have been asking for pics of the old school, so I promise I'll start including them :o)

GRANNY SQUARE JOY

2010-08-21T16:27:00.000+10:00

There is something lovely about a crocheted 'Granny Square' snuggler, don't you think? It is the honest, gentle epitome of Grandmother's love, along with hand baked cupcakes, hot morning piklets and honey, an afternoon game of Chinese checkers and a pile of Autumn leaves that have been raked especially for you, ready for jumping and rolling in. It evokes memories of childhood that your daily life seems too hectic to allow. Yep, Granny Squares are one of the necessities of life, lest we forget to slow down long enough to snuggle in them.

Gee, I miss my Gran...

THE SOUP CYCLE

2010-07-16T09:43:00.003+10:00

SAGO is all about making do,being clever about using resources, and celebrating a simple life with loving family and friends. Over the winter months here in Australia, our family has developed a weekly routine that I think is worth sharing.

We love soups with crusty bread; our version of fast food is the occasional bought roast chook on soccer-training night, since we get home so late; I truly hate waste. How are these things connected?

In the fridge is a basket that I collect all veggie ends and scraps appropriate to a stock over a number of days. Things like leek, garlic and onion ends, celery and carrot tops, leftover fresh herbs, root veg peelings etc. We still compost, but simply reserving fresh veggie and herb bits.

Sometimes we grab a roast chook on the way home from sport, and eat that with either salad or steamed veg. All the left over bones, skin and carcass go into a pot with the veggie scrap collection.

The stock cooks away all evening, and I turn it off with time to let it cool before I go to bed. I then put it all, lid on, into the fridge.

Next day, the small amount of chicken fat has collected and solidified on top. It's removed, the stock strained from the bits and returned to the fridge. That afternoon, fresh veg and herbs or spices, barley, lentil or split pea are put in and the soup is done. A little soy sauce for salt, and you're all set. Often we go vegan and skip the chook. Any stock that won't get used straight away is reduced and frozen for a rainy day.

Oh, and how is it a cycle? The ends and peelings of the fresh soup veg start the scraps basket for the next soupy stock day!

[cue angelic choir sounds]

I am sure I am not the only one who does this, so feel free to point and laugh. I don't mind. The family is happy, and I feel just a little bit special and clever :o)

SPREADING THE JOY

2010-06-21T13:58:00.001+10:00

It's lovely to know we can share the joy and spread the word about lovely things you can see and have for yourself in blogworld. Karen over at New Earth Soaps has kindly included a Sago snuggler in her 'Sunday Treats, Toasty warm' feature. With so many great Australian crafters and artists creating objects of warmth and affection, we really are lucky this winter.

Oh, and check out her new blog banner - it's lovely - nice one, Karen :o)

IN LOVING MEMORY..

2010-06-04T10:39:00.002+10:00

“What is lovely never dies, but passes into other loveliness.” - Thomas Bailey

As you all know, the inspiration for Sago on Tuesdays is my gorgeous Gran and her practical principles for simple living and a truly fulfilling family life.

On May 21st, my dear lovely Gran, Nancy Rose Lardner, passed away peacefully among family at the age of 89.

Though it will be so sad not to call her each week, hear her voice, and share giggles and news, I am comforted by knowing that she was proud of the intimate influence she has had on my adult life, and was able to know our children and pass on her values and gems of wisdom from a life lived fully.

Her sayings, recipes, jokes, wisdom and skills will continue to be shared here, as a tribute to a remarkable woman who will live not only in our hearts and memories, but across the globe for all to enjoy and find inspiration, as I have.

~ Nancy loved an afternoon brandy,

A hand of cards with friends,

a good laugh,

a cracking game of football,

and to cook ~

Here is just one of her many tried and true recipes for you to enjoy, and perhaps raise a glass in her honour..

Gran’s sultana cake (very nice)

½ lb butter

½ lb sugar
3 eggs
¾ lb plain flour
1 lb sultanas
Flaked or sliced almonds to top

Cover sultanas with 1 cup of boiling water and a good pinch bi-carb soda (½ level tsp). Cream butter and sugar, add eggs 1 at a time, then flour and sultanas. Sprinkle extra sugar and almonds on top before baking. Bake at 160 for about 1½ hours.

PINK PATCHES IS FINISHED ~ the reclaimed organic cotton snuggler blanket from heaven

2010-05-18T20:06:00.001+10:00

I am so proud of this snuggler.

It was a right pain to make, as the organic cotton was much harder to crochet and the strands kept separating, so needless to say, it has been blessed several times! Blocking took ages, as it was so heavy when wet, and the yarns were all different gauges, so joining them with a consistent rythm was tricky.

Here's the thing though - it's soooo beautifully natural, soft and snuggly that it was soooo worth it!

The flowers are 30s fabric 'yo-yo's with shank buttons on top and holed buttons underneath, so you can attach them (and take them off when washing the snuggler, as they are bakelite and celluloide) via the buttonholes that were part of the original garment from which some of the panels came. There are also pockets from the oginals too, which I think is very cute. The lady I made it for has the initials 'J.T.', so it was great to be able to personalise it for her.

This one was made for an Etsy custom order, but I am already planning the next one - for me, this time.

EUREKA!! SLOWCOOKER QUINCE PASTE JOY

2010-05-11T12:22:00.001+10:00

So, following on from yesterday's post, where I toyed with the notion of cooking quince paste in the slowcooker to avoid mess and splatter etc., here is how it turned out..

Washed off fuzz, cut up quinces (about 4 large) into quarters and put into slowcooker on 'high' (my cooker has a number 1 and 2 setting - 'high' is number 2). Cook for about 2-3 hours, then when soft, put through a ricer/mouli (I used a potato press) . I didn't even have to wait for it to cool, since the slow cooker is operating at a low temp anyway. Mess (seeds, core, skins et,) was extracted in the pressing, pulp was then weighed and returned straight to pot with equal weight in sugar. For this lot, that was about 1.2 kg.

[Many recipes suggested adding flavours like cinnamon etc, but I didn't this time]

Here is the pulp and sugar back into the pot. I covered it and cooked it on high again for another 2 hours or so, stirring only occassionally (every 20 minutes or so,just when I thought of it, walking past) then lowered heat to number 1 and cooked it with the lid off for another 30 minutes (heat is so low that there is no splatter, but still enough to do the job nicely)

This is the only washing up mess besides the slowcooker bowl - important I think to include that, since it adds to the realistic time a recipe really takes.

Colour has changed to a lovely ruby, and volume reduced - and THE SMELL - DIVINE!!!

Ladled into muffin trays, so they pop out in the right size and shape for a cheese-platter :o)

(next time I'll ladle directly into little pots bought to give away)

Overnight cooling, then in the morning - tadaa!

[Umm.. yes, you can see one is missing.. we couldn't wait - tee,hee]

So, slowcooker quince paste is a success. Next time, spiced pear paste, and the rest of my quinces with sticky wine and cream - mmmmmm, I love autumn.

QUINCE SEASON ~ tossing up paste recipes

2010-05-10T10:41:00.003+10:00

Hubby brought home some lovely big quinces from a kind customer keen to share, and after filling the house with glorious aroma for a week, it's now time to actually DO something with them.

Quince paste is the obvious choice, though I have enough to try a few different things.

Turning to my FAVOURITE seasonal garden and cooking book (bible), Leanne Kitchen's 'Grower's market', I saw two recipes - one for paste and one for slow-cooked honey quinces.

Mmmmm...

Further enquiries to the lovely lady who gave us the fruit reveals that paste-making , whilst easy, can be darn messy, not to mention the cause of the occasional boiling-fruit-splatter-burn.

Soooo, methinks, why not make the paste in the slowcooker?..

I have enough to give it a try, in case I botch the first attempt and have to go back to the tried and true.

I'll let you know how it turns out :o)

PINK PATCHES ~ reclaimed organic cotton ~ lovely :o)

2010-05-08T16:37:00.003+10:00

Here's an idea ..

find beautiful yarn that someone has taken a lot of time and effort to make ..(gorgeous organic knitting cotton this time)

rescue it from jumpers and cardies that are much too soft and lovely to see the end of their days..

wash it gently, dry it in the shade, 'pull' it back to usable squares..

crochet new squares to match and put it all together..

into a wonderful new snuggler to wrap your family in this winter.

This one's not finished yet. It is a custom order on my Etsy-space, but I just want to do more and more.

Wool is great, but I've been pinched by the cotton bug, and it's all Kate's fault! ;o)

I'M BACK :o)

2010-04-12T10:04:00.010+10:00

Hi there all,
Thank you to those people who have emailed to ask after how I am - no, I didn't fall off the planet, just got work-busy, went on holiday, came back to school holidays, and generally left bloggy things to the last in line :o(

Anyhow, I have made up for it with some simple line art in the Sago Paper Studio (check out pics below), which is just playing at the moment, but may morph into something worth developing. I am also thrilled that a local business has offered me some space to sell my journals and folded page pieces in 2011 - just have to sort out the finer details, before I can tell all - ooooh, exciting!

Aaaaaaw, that's so cute!!

2010-02-14T17:43:00.003+11:00

Little man 4 had his first day of kindy last week, and his first kindy painting on Friday - it's a rippa!

I always write on the side or back what it is, in his words, cause as much as I love it in the moment, I never remember what it was a year later.

ALMOST A RAINBOW

2010-02-07T14:33:00.006+11:00

Oh, these are so lovely, I am tempted to keep them myself, but alas they are destined for Etsy-ville..

You can snap a thousand digital pictures, and tweet yourself silly, but the moments missed are those jottings that slip by without being captured in ink and lead.

~ notes to your older self

~ memories of your little ones to share when they get older

~ creative ideas and sketches

~ travel adventures

~ recipes

~ garden diaries

This is my latest contribution to journalling everywhere. They are collated, constructed, double wire bound and stamped by hand, and include some pages of each original book. The covers come from a matching vintage Reader's Digest series which ended in 1971. It took a long time to collect all six (two in Melbourne, one in Ararat, two in Ballarat, and one from Maryborough), but it was worth the wait - they are so beautiful together. The parts of the books too damaged to use are now lining the bottom of my garden patch - nothing wasted - quietly sequesting carbon back into the earth :o)

PAPER STUDIO Gems in threes

2010-01-28T16:29:00.005+11:00

Well, after much painstaking time, my three gems are complete. Not a difficult thing to do, but taxing on the concentration, time and finger muscles, to get every fold right and precise.

At first, I mucked around with these out of a desperate need to make more use of the left-over paper from my journal construction, but slowly, it is taking over and giving me a creative twitch!

I have some other designs in the wind, but nothing I'm happy to show yet.

I've got three requests for these from Etsy customers, but have NO IDEA how to post them safely, so for now,

Julie, Becca and Justin... sorry, and these pics are for you... x

I'm hoping to make them available to the local Art Gallery giftshop soon, but I want to make some more first. What price to charge? Goodness, I have no idea. They take hours to do, not to mention often going through several incarnations before finding books with spines robust but flexible enough to last, and old enough to get just the right petina on the pages. More thinking needed.

Fold and think.... fold and think....

SAGO IS ON TWITTER :o)

2010-01-27T09:57:00.005+11:00

Sago is on

Check out my Twitter feed on the Right sidebar - I'm a very new Tweepy, but it's fun, and I can keep up to date on what everyone's making and doing. I'm also sending out some advance notice of my new journal and quilt listings on Etsy, for those who want to follow along :o)

SAGO IS ON FACEBOOK!

2010-01-22T09:42:00.003+11:00

Well, I finally took the plunge and registered on Facebook. I have a personal page and a fan page. They are linked, but I'm going to try to keep them seperate. So, if you'd like to follow along, then best as a 'fan' on the page, rather than 'friend' (that's just for family - ta.):

www.facebook.com/page/sagoontuesdays

or you can go to my personal profile, then to INFO, then to the SAGOONTUESDAYS on the page favourites list

www.facebook.com/sagoontuesdays

JOURNALS from the PAPER STUDIO

2010-01-20T21:50:00.007+11:00

I am so excited to be able to offer my first batch of personal journals through my Etsy store (see the pics and link on my right sidebar).

The gathering, deconstructing, sorting, cutting, binding, and general having a bloody good time has culminated in these little treasures that.. well, frankly if it wasn't to make room for more chances to gather, cut, bind and make, I'd never want to give them up!

The other thing I'm thrilled about is being able to give new life to old things that would otherwise be tossed and forgotten - such a waste.

Anyhow, pop over and check them out

:wink:

HELP FOR HAITI ~ HOW CAN CRAFTERS CONTRIBUTE?

2010-01-17T09:28:00.008+11:00

When a call rings out for help for our fellow man in crisis, crafters answer. We can again contribute to assist Haiti in it's time of need, via the network called Craft Hope . Craft hope have an Etsy shop where they are selling handmade items , donated by all sorts of crafters and artists. 100% of proceeeds will be going to Doctors without Borders.

You might want to pop over and take a look, buy an item or even make an item donation yourself.

I am making journals to contribute, which will be in the shop soon and even though the listing says post to US I am happy to post anywhere. I'll post again when the journals are ready to go.

QUILT STUDIO NEWS ~ HEIRLOOM QUILTS IN PROGRESS

2010-01-15T16:35:00.004+11:00

Oooo, I'm so excited to string enough moments together to start on my little heirloom quilts for girls - boys are coming too soon.

Here are some teaser pics..

I just adore linen, and these quilts are all cotton and linen, in a size that's special for little angels as they grow from bub to doll to mum. I'll reveal them soon :o)

FINALLY, A NEW POST!

2010-01-15T16:29:00.003+11:00

Hey, I'm back!

It is finally approaching the end of the silly season and we can try to get back into some kind of routine. I hope to post more often and keep you up to date with all my ideas for textiles and paper.
Oh, and for those interested, the Buninyong Blueberry farm (see labels) is in the picking season again, so you can pick your own and go blu-blu-blooming nuts on blueberries. We've bought enough to freeze in little parcels to lasst the rest of the year - YUMMMMM!

JUST ONE CAULIFLOWER - HONESTLY!!

2009-10-24T12:33:00.004+11:00

As big as two footballs when it was whole - son #1 was unimpressed that we didn't take photos before cutting it for blanching.

This cauli was such a surprise - I truly thought they were not going to flower this year, and just when the family was away from the garden for two weeks, they exploded into creamy loveliness. I think they were waiting to be left to dress themselves in peace!

My biggest thrill was that none of the caulis had ANY bugs -not an earwig, slug, snail or caterpillar anywhere inside.

What was the secret? Not sure.. maybe one of a few things we did this year.

- we planted earlier, so that by the time bugs were up and about with warmer weather, the plants had done most of their growing.
-we covered the seedling with upturned PET bottles until the leaves filled the space, so they were quite big before having to fend for themselves.
- we took off a few lower leaves of each plant and lay them on the ground - they were eaten, but not the main plant.
- soil was very rich, so plants were strong from the beginning.

RESULT - cheesy, creamy baked cauli for boys to gormandise!

BALLARAAT QUILTERS EXHIBITION 2009 - BE THERE OR BE SQUARE (IN A SQUARE)

2009-10-22T09:23:00.007+11:00

WOW, IS IT TWO YEARS ALREADY SINCE THE LAST
BALLARAAT QUILTERS EXHIBITION?!

Please won't you come join us this year for a celebration of stitchery love and community, and some darn impressive handy-work from the quilters here in central Victoria. There'll be quilts to see, goodies to buy, raffle to enter, sewing to watch, and some lovely ladies (and gentleman) to talk to about all things patch and quilt.

Oct 31, Nov 1 2009
10am-4pm daily

Ballarat Mining Exchange
12 Lydiard St North
(in the Arts precinct of Ballarat,
a very short walk from Ballarat train station)

$5 entry fee
there is also a raffle - $2 per ticket - prize is a large quilt made by the group
What a beauty!

For more information, please feel free to email me through my profile :o)
To see pics from the last exhibition in November 2007,
see the Ballaraat Quilters website

Stay tuned for some pics this week of my own contributions to the exhibition.
Oooooh, I can't wait to see everyone's gems

Hello. My name is Sonya. I'm a collectorholic.

2009-09-26T17:46:00.004+10:00

Hello. My name is Sonya (sago). I'm a collectorholic. I sometimes sell things from my vintage collections on my Etsyspace before my family starts to object. That way, I can raise funds to add to my collections again, until the next purge..
It's the cycle of life/collecting. It's nature. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

At the moment, it's my excess vintage aprons that need to be set free.
They are so very nice, but they just have to go.

My name is Sonya, and I'm a collectorholic.
Thank you for your time.
[giggle]

SUNDAY MUFFIN SLAB

2009-09-13T12:15:00.003+10:00

Sunday morning
Sleep in..

hungries set in
Easy, healthy, breakfast for four
Hmm, what to make..

Why not try my Sunday Muffin Slab

Take your favourite simple muffin recipe (or go super-slack and use a local, organic pre-mix, like me!), mix up in a large bowl, add local berries frozen in muffin-size portions since last season, mix roughly with a butter-knife, pour onto a tray (I use a pizza tray) covered in baking paper, and bake for 30 minutes.

Hack off a slab, hand to children, recruit a husband to make coffee,
and soak up the applause.
On cold weekends, we go fancy and use plates!
When the weather is fine, we shoo kids outside with muffin slabs in hand

No muffin trays, no washing up, no hassle

All goodness, all local, all instant family hero

Come on, you know you want to try it!

PIPPETY-POP, HERE'S A CROCHET BASKET FOR ALENKA

2009-09-05T10:53:00.011+10:00

WOW, THIS PRESSIE SWAP was soooo much fun. We both have our surprises, and wouldn't you believe it - we both used similar colours - Doo,doo,doo, doo! [say with creepy big eyes and Twilight Zone sound effects].

Alenka's basket was crocheted from double-strand cotton onto a cane basket, and lined with fitted felt so little needles, hooks, and bitty-bobs don't fall out. She can fold the top in to use it as an open basket, or bring the strap up and button for a handle. The button is just from a Nanna-stash.

ALENKA SENT ME THIS LOVELY BAG..

I'm going to use my bag to keep my journal, phone and glasses in. The strap is adjustable, so it also fits my curly-tops toddler (who has already insisted it is for him - cheeky boy!)
~ : )

IF YOU EVER HAVE THE URGE TO SEND A GIFT TO A STRANGER, AND MAKE A NEW FRIEND IN THE PROCESS - GO WITH IT!

Thank you Alenka, I had a great time. X

SNEAKY-PEEKY

2009-08-22T10:19:00.005+10:00

Here is a little peeky-poo for Alenka in Germany of the crochet basket I made her, to keep all her lovely crochet goodies in. We are doing a crafty-bag swap, and it's very exciting. As soon as I know she has it, I'll post the full photos.

Ooooh, I just love pressies!!

Hey, and do tell me what you think about the crochet basket - if they appeal, I might put some up on my Etsy shop

SNUGGLERS ARE FOR GROWN-UPS TOO!!

2009-07-17T13:19:00.007+10:00

Don't you just love a woolly snuggler to wrap you up on cold winter days!

We've had some hideous weather, and with kidlets having colds and things, are quite over each others' company!
But - thank grace - this week is sunny, despite the cold temperature, and with a backlog of great books to read, I'm just loving the backyard with a little fire going and hot-chocky or lemon-myrtle tea (my too favourite winter drinks at the moment).

Oh, and just in case you feel left out, and tempted to share the joy, some of my snugglers are for sale on my Etsy site (there is link on my Right Sidebar). I'm also crocheting left-over wool into jumpers for my youngest. I'll post a photo when I'm finished :o)

HOLD ME DOWN, MISS JANE - it's my new favourite thing

2009-06-13T11:30:00.007+10:00

HOLD THE PRESSES, STOP THE CLOCK, PASS THE BABY, PUT DOWN THE KNITTING, GET A COFFEE, TAKE A SEAT.. AND HOLD ON, 'cause I just HAVE to show you my new favourite thing - ooooooo, I'm very excited!

(no, it's no medical cure, we are still using fossil fuels, and world peace is still a ways off yet, but it's the next best thing..)

I have received my custom cotton tape from Lilla Lotta this week, and it is very beautiful.

Hand-made, original and just gorgeous, but still professional with attention to detail, down to the font, space between characters and durability, this little gem of a girl (Anna Barrow, by name) understands crafters and their needs, and is so easy to work with, not to mention her product is at a great price.

Please, do yourself a favour and check out her Etsy shop, and her blog.

I now have no excuse to put off my baby-project any longer (no, calm down, I don't mean an actual BABY - my two beautiful boys are quite enough, thank you). I mean the chenille baby snugglers that I have promised myself for some time.

When my boys were bubs, their sensitive skin didn't like synthetics and I was always on the hunt for comfort in cotton - not always easy . One fabric does the job beautifully, and has fond links to my childhood - chenille.

So, comfy, soft chenille (the good vintage stuff, not the new ones out these days - is it just me, or are they just NOT the same), some paired with modern cotton fabrics that are my current buzz, and some treasures from my vintage stash.

I'll post some pics soon of the boys fabrics I have - 'cause gorgeous boys need gorgeous snugglers too!

Stay tuned for some samples, and upcoming giveaways to get some feedback :o)

The big reveal

2009-06-04T11:24:00.006+10:00

OK, so after some dedicated prompting (a.k.a. nagging) from a mate, I have decided to show y'all my big project that has been in my ideas journal and in pieces in a draw and on the floor for nearly a year now. It still has another two borders to go, and quilting up, but here is my first attempt at a quilt for pattern.

The pattern notes aren't finished yet, and I'm not sure if I'll sell it as a paper pattern, or a pdf download through Etsy.. (which do you think? )

I also have some layout variations and fabric alternative ideas to work on, and the block design will be 'tweaked' again so that the strips running through seem to 'weave' more, but it's essentially there.

There are 10 blocks in total, so the last one will go on the back as the label. I'll post again when it is finished.

.. What to call it...? 'Crossroads' is on the shortlist..

any suggestions?

Hey, I might show it at the Ballarat Quilt Exhibition in November.. Hmm.. brain still working overtime!

With two more pattern ideas churning around in my head, there won't be much downtime - still, it's an injury self-inflicted!

EarthCare tip # 81

2009-05-07T08:50:00.003+10:00

Today's Lesson on Quality

2009-05-04T09:56:00.004+10:00

I had hesitated (for 2 years) to pay out for stainless steel garden hand tools, and finally decided to take the plunge - $20 for one always seemed steep. A friend, however, helped me put it all into perspective - "So, with all the flimsy, cheap ones you bought and killed in that time, isn't this one really a $40 tool that you had on layby for two years?!" - Thanks . I can always count on you for a reality check.

So, how long will you put something of quality on layby/hire-purchase before finally deciding to buy something that will last - Hmmmm?

My son lovingly quoted a recent animation movie character, and contributed this little gem - "Mum, a man often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it"

- Grrrrr.

EarthCare tip #96

2009-04-30T10:29:00.000+10:00

EarthCare tip #148

2009-04-23T08:21:00.005+10:00

I have been sending these little tips to friends for some time, but I think it might be fun to spread them around blog-ville too. I try to concentrate on the easy things that everyone can incorporate into their lives without any expense. What do you think? Should I keep doing them? I think maybe once a week or so would be ok ..

Good Friday Treats

2009-04-10T17:24:00.006+10:00

Here are some biscuit treats for Easter to give to our neighbours. There are about a dozen bickies in each bag, some with choc buttons, some with just sprinkles baked in. The boys had a great time cutting with the Easter shapes, and decorating them.

The recipe is a simple biscuit thingy - from my Gran's journal, though any shape biscuit dough would do.

I'm going to use the same bags (cute, eh?.. can't remember where I got them - ages ago now. Plain cellophane bags would be fine too) packed with little bags of seeds from our vegie garden for all our relatives who live away. I was at first going to send bickie bags, but they'll crush, and won't be fresh... not very Eastery!

I'll post a pic of the seed parcels when they are done.
Oh, and here is the recipe if you don't have another suitable (I've changed lb/oz to metric), and I need a double batch for these bags...

Shape Biscuit Recipe (from Sonya's Gran)
Ingredients: 3/4 cup castor sugar
250g soft butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk (make 4 lots of bickies and end up with enough egg white for a pavlova!)
2 cups sifted plain flour (though up to 2 1/4 might be needed for a good dough consistency)
[optional - choc buttons, sprinkles, currants etc. for decorating]

Method (using an electric mixer):
* Preheat oven to 180deg
* Cream butter and sugar,
* Beat in vanila and egg yolk,
* Beat in flour to a smooth dough,
* Divide dough in halves,
* Wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hr (to firm dough up again)
[you can freeze it at this point for using later, if you like]
* Roll out to 5mm thick and cut with favourite shapes; decorate if you wish
[you can collect scraps and re-roll, or bake scraps as-is for kids to gobble!]
* put on baking paper on oven trays
* about 12 mins in the oven until golden, but watch them because the 'turn' quickly

makes about 30, but that depends on your shape sizes

Happy Easter from our family to yours.

Pressie time - local beauties

2009-03-25T11:07:00.006+11:00

I have sent a little trio of fabrics this morning to Michelle in California, as a thank-you for the lovely selvedges she sends me. I hope this doesn't spoil the surprise Michelle, but I just can't resist sharing these little darlings with everyone - I hope you like them.

The range is called 'Sweet Daze', and is designed by our very own Emma, here in Ballarat, and made by Max New Fabrics. I'm not sure where you can get them overseas, but be sure to ask, as they are just gorgeous. Her 'Snowflake Medallion' quilt is so femanine and pretty, and the range comes in both raspberry and chocolate (I especially like the chocolate).

Anyhow, enjoy!

Aaaargh - it's a pirate party!

2009-02-26T13:20:00.009+11:00

So, my now 4 year old is having his first REAL birthday party, and we are going all out! No toys for presents this year (we already have too many, really) so his pressies are piratey party things, like a flag for his wall, a pirate doona cover (which we are using as a tablecloth for the party, then I'll wash and bind for use on the bed), fancy pirate hats and foam daggers, and .....

PIRATE BUNTING :o)

So, I checked out some net sites for methods of making bunting, but to be honest, they all seemed like just too much trouble. Making bias-binding, turning out and all that jazz... Hmmm... must be an easier way....

After a glass of red, a story with my toddler and a little thinking time, I came up with my own stress-free bunting solution. I'll put it into a tutorial on my sidebar once I figure out how! For now, here it is as a post..

STEP 1: Cut fabrics of your choice (I chose two piratey designs, with one of them a thicker canvas-type fabric so I can avoid using interfacing) into about 8.5 inch strips (but you can choose the size you prefer)

STEP 2: Layer the front and back fabrics with WRONG SIDES FACING (yes, you read correctly)

STEP 3: Decide how 'pointy' you want your bunting (I chose 45 degrees at the point) and mark out a triangle on your ruler with masking tape so you can easily rotary cut along the strip.

STEP 4: With a pinking blade on your rotary cutter (mine was $6 at a local craft store), cut through both layers, keeping them together. Do this along the strip, putting the bit at the end into your scrap bag :o) This step avoids turning out and re-sewing (yeehaa!). Besides, the wavy edge looks cute.

STEP 5: With a pin in the point to keep the layers together, sew down along the pinked edge to the point, then turn and go up the other side. No need to sew along the top straight edge.

DON'T CUT THE THREAD AND START AGAIN! KEEP THE BITS TOGETHER IN A 'CHAIN-PIECED' GROUP for as many as you would like to be on the same length of bunting. This makes sewing them together later MUCH quicker :o) Alternate which fabric is on top if you want the final bunting to show both fabrics along each side (see picture below).

[don't you just LOOOOVE chain-piecing!!]

STEP 6: Take a length of woven cotton tape (I chose red, but the ordinary cream sort is just fine) enough for all the flags, plus about 20-30 cms extra at either end. Make it the wider sort - about 2.5 cms. Fold it in half over the tops of the flags (this is where you will be glad you chain/string-pieced) and sew through (either right from the end, or just from where the flags start). I back-sewed over each edge of the flags, to be sure they don't pull out with little hands tugging at them.

So that's 1 down, and 7 to go. I think these will be my signature kids gift for this year :o)

So, what do you think? Nifty? Piratey? Easy?

The wild smell of fennel

2009-02-16T11:11:00.003+11:00

Well, what a smell - if you like licorice, then the aroma of ripening wild fennel seeds will get your tastebuds tingling!

In our pursuit for 'Weeds for food' around our local area, we have started using wild fennel seeds in teas and fish marinades, potato and green bean salad, and dressing as well. I have the seeds hanging up in the kitchen in a paper bag, and are drying off very nicely.

Wait until they are full and plump on the bush, and starting to dry off a bit, then pick the floret and finish the drying at home. Otherwise, the birdies will get a gourmet lunch before you do.

We were too late to pick the plums - one day too late! The birds checked in, feasted, and checked out overnight. Oh well, there is still a drought on, so it's every man and bird for himself!

Her beauty and her terror

2009-02-11T11:41:00.004+11:00

To some of my overseas bloggy friends, thankyou for your kind concern and emails – We are in Ballarat, which ironically, is one of the few areas of Victoria not yet affected directly by fire. It is only the second week of February (our classic fire month), so we are not out of the woods yet, but so far grateful for our luck so far and hopeful that we’ll be missed this season. Be assured, if it comes anywhere near here, we’ll be grabbing kiddies, taking our fire box (a small plastic box which is always in our hallway at this time of year, containing a hard drive of all our business, insurance photos of everything we own and digital family photos, our old photo negatives, a battery radio and our vital documents), locking the door, and getting out and well away.

Of course, if a spontaneous fire storm was to hit (which is so hot and large, it creates it’s own weather system!) the way it did in KingLake, then there is no warning at all (poor buggers), and then it is just making do at the time. Our families thoughts and prayers go out to Victorian communities so far struck by this merciless strike from mother nature.

So tragic. Still, the recovery effort and immediate response has been, in true Aussie style, giving, swift, comprehensive and with a red-tape-less, get-it-done attitude (by both private groups, individual citizens and especially government – bloody inspiring!). It’s times like these that I am terrified and proud to be Australian.

We have a famous poem in Australia. It is called My Country, written many years ago. Here it is:

My Country
by
Dorothea Mackellar
(1885 - 1968)

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die-
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold-
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land-
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand-
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

The second verse is the most well known, and contains the well-used phrase ‘Her beauty and her terror’. Her terror is what haunts us at present, and her beauty is what reminds us she’s worth striving and surviving for.

For anyone in blog-land who might feel they can donate something to help, you can make formal online contributions from anywhere in the world by going online at

www.redcross.org.au

Well, here it is - the winning result

2009-02-06T14:58:00.001+11:00

I used the integer generator at random.org to come up with a random number between 1 and 133 (the total number of comment entries in the giveaway offer at the time the offer closed). The result was number 101. (see the screenshot below)

Looking back through the comments, that means that the winner is...

Drum roll please.....

Bella, who wrote "Ooooh, sounds fabulous. Thanks for the chance."

Congratulations Bella, your package will be bundled off to you in a jiffy - I sure hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who participated. I had a ball of fun, and can't wait for the next one.
Cheers all
~Sonya

OK, Time's up!

2009-02-06T05:09:00.000+11:00

The comments time has closed for our great International Stash Giveaway, but stay tuned - this has been so much fun, I can't imagine it'll be too long before I want to do it again.

Oh, and while you are here, do please check out my SELVEDGE SWAFFER (swap-offer) if you are up for a little more fabric-exchange.

I'll announce the winner later today, post the result and email the winner ~ jeepers, creepers, this is very exciting. I can't wait!

Time's running out

2009-02-05T17:47:00.000+11:00

Oooo, it's so exciting !

Just six hours or so until the International Stash giveaway is decided. So, you have until 12 midnight tonight, my time (see the clock in my sidebar) to get your comments in. Then, we close the hat, and tomorrow I'll use the Blogger Random Number Gadget to select a number of comment, which will tell us who wins. That gives plenty of time for people in Australia and overseas to get their comments in. I've been overwhelmed at the response - who would have thought that giving things away would be so much fun. It has also lead me to some great blogs to visit. I'll definitely be doing this again!

The great International Stash Giveaway

2009-02-03T17:21:00.000+11:00

OK - so for the juicy details..

On Wednesday February 4th, I will be delving into fabrics from my stash to find goodies to give away, as part of the genius swappy-day. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE FROM KATY, THE LEAD-SWAPPER.

My stash-pack will include quilting fabric, vintage fabric, buttons and vintage notions

Basically, I have some stuff I don't need that you might like, and if you comment on this post saying you're interested I'll pick some names at random tomorrow for a couple of people to win it. If you do enter, please make sure there's either a blog link or an email address in your comment - if I can't contact you, then I 'll have to draw another name - sorry :o)
I will post internationally too, so don't let that stop you.

So, here is the list of links to other bloggy-stash-busting-chicks (oops, maybe some dudes in there too - sorry) for you to enjoy visiting.

Salutations to a cold weather chair

2009-02-01T20:41:00.000+11:00

My hubby's grandmother's art deco rolled arm low-rider chair. It's springs have sunk, and it's stuffing is lumpy; the original upholstery is too threadbare to be left uncovered, so I drape a crocheted rug over it's fragilities, and give our favourite cushions pride of place. A good friend sewed a sashiko wall hanging - for a wall, of course. I gaze at this lovely old chair so much more frequently, that the wall-hanging became a chair-hugger. It looks as though it was always there.

It's so hot here this week. 43-45 C degrees every day, and only swimming pools and public libraries to retreat to. I miss being comfortable in my own home..

THE GREAT SELVEDGE SWAP

2009-01-28T12:57:00.000+11:00

Many thanks to the lovely people who sent me some selvedge for my projects. I now have some real gems to feature in a panel, a cushion, or a bag. It's not always easy asking people to part with selvedge that still has fabric attached. However, I am going to need a LOT more to do the projects I have in mind, so

I'd like to make a swap offer (a 'swaffer?!'):

I have weighed twenty fat quarters of all different patterns and styles, and come up with an average weight of about 40 grams per quarter. Soooooo,

if anyone would like to send me selvedges in bundles of about 40 grams, I will return by sending you fat quarters (without the selvedge, of course - te, he). That way, I get my selvedge, and you get some surprise fabric for your stash.

Here are the details:

Selvedges I can use: Any length more than two inches, and total width of 1.5-2 inches, including the actual selvedge part (see the picture above). Any style, any colour, any pattern, any age, so long as it is 100% cotton of the type we mostly use in facric craft and quilting - the more variety the better.

Fabric I can offer in return: Let me know what style you prefer - 30s, brights, civil war, floral, pastels, reproduction, modern, novelty - and I will do my best to send fabric to suit, and send 1,2,3 or however many to equal the weight of your selvedge. If you live locally in Ballarat, and would like to avoid the postage, we can meet at Ballarat Patchwork (owned and run by the lovely Miss Emma Jansen) and I can buy you the quarters you'd like.

Sound like fun?

It doesn't matter how long it takes you, beacuse my swap offer will be on for quite some time (I'm not going to run out of selvedge projects any time soon!) - don't send just one lot of 40 grams - save up and send a whole swag! That way, your return surprise will be even more wonderful.

When you are ready to swap, email me and I'll send you my details.

Elderflower Syrup - from weed to wonderful

2009-01-25T19:55:00.000+11:00

It is Summer here in Australia at present, and I am busy collecting the first of the seed from parsley, brassicas, coriander, sunflower and lettuce. I'll keep half, and swap half with other gardeners for the things I didn't get to put in last season. Harvest has begun with zucchini, herbs, cucumber, spuds, and other solanums on the way (tomato, capsicum etc.). The corn is looking lovely. Darn hard with so little water about, but deep, sparse watering in their seedling days have toughened them up.

I happened upon a simple Elderflower Syrup recipe, with lovely cooking notes, and a kindred commitment to simple, sustainable living.

The reason I am after the syrup recipe is that, whilst we are very careful in modern times not to introduce plants that might take over in the bush as noxious weeds, it wasn't always so, and most weeds these days were once brought as houseplants and garden specimens from England. Whilst seasonal produce, local natives and organic living are always the ideal, it is also true that our public spaces and spare lands are often awash with invasive weeds (one of which, here, is Elder).
Soooo, I have made it my mission this year to find as many recipes as possible that I can use to harvest local weeds (and so take seed, berry and flower out of the food and plant chain) like Elderflower, Sloe plum, wild fennel, wild asparagus, wild olive.

Wish me luck, and many thanks to Joanna (in the UK) for your Elderflower syrup recipe. I already know three places locally where I might be able to pilfer the weedy ingredient to transform into a delightful gift for someone.

Mum's hexagon quilt

2009-01-24T18:16:00.000+11:00

Well, even though I finished the quilt for Mum at the end of November, ready for her birthday, I thought it a good idea to document it here (as I should now with all my finished quilt projects), which also means that faraway friends can see the finished product that took so much time and tears.
Hand pieced, hand quilted and hand binded - it took a seriously long time (about a year) and when the fabric has been chosen in someone else's style (in particular, not your own), it can be a bit tiring on the eyes after a while. I knew Mum would like hexagons, but she did say that the 'daisy' pattern ('Grandmothers Garden) wasn't her first choice, so I had to think to come up with something original that she'd go for.

She's not flowery, but not retro; she's not olde worlde, but not modern contemporary either. Hmmm. Anyhow, it turned out to be not a bad design, in the end. She said she loved it, so that makes it all worth while.

The hexs were pieced into groups of three, then around the central contrasting pattern hex, to form the triangle, and then the smaller hex was appliqued onto the centre. The two end strips of hex halves were just left-overs that I didn't know what to do with. But seeing as Mum wants to drape the quilt over the back of her couch, it worked out just nicely. Coffee rather than cream was chosen for the background, which I had second thoughts about half way through, but it has grown on me :o) The photo only shows half the quilt, but you get the idea.

I had fun making the label, which ended up being in lieu of a birthday card. I remembered going to a quilt history group and realising the importance of labeling quilts.

They reckon the most important details are where, when, by whom and for whom it is made, plus the block/design name and a name for the quilt. All these details provide historians and quilters of the future with everything they need to place the quilt in history, both chronologically and socially.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with it, and though I almost chickened out of hand-quilting it, I'm so glad I persisted. For such a special Mum, it really was worth the extra effort.

So, what do you think?

Blueberry Heaven

2009-01-21T12:17:00.000+11:00

For all you Ballarat locavores and to berry-lovers everywhere, take a gander at these - Mmmmm.

The Buninyong Blueberry farm is open and doing a roaring trade. The berries are sweet, the owners (Ernie and Margaret Neale) of the farm are just lovely, and the location is very convenient. Dessert-grade for $15/kg, cooking grade $12/kg, and even pick-you-own from this Saturday (for about a week or two, I believe) for $9/kg. We've had berries all over, but you just can't beat these for quids!

Being into the seasonal food thing, and as locavore-ish as possible (and more all the time), we bought a truck-load to freeze. The best thing is that berries, unlike other fruits, can be frozen as-is and eaten any time. On a hot day, a handful of frozen 'blubes' goes down very nicely indeed.

We'll be back there on Saturday so the kids can pick berries for themselves and get a good feel for where they come from and how they grow (yes, yes, I know - another cupboard-hippy-ish thing to do). We love fresh, local food! Yeeha, Halleluliah, Amen, High-fives, Chest-slaps and stackes on!!

[oops, got a little carried away in the moment there... but I'm back now]

OK, OK, I got it - more panels!

2009-01-18T08:55:00.000+11:00

For all those wonderful people who sent emails about buying my panels - the ones on the blog here aren't for sale, but I am getting onto making smaller square ones for sale on my Etsy site.

See, see... here are some lovely selvedges ready to do their thing. Really, truly.

The problem is getting enough of them to do a project. Soooooooo, if anyone has some selvedge they can spare (1.5 to 2 inches wide, including the text and dot area, though if it doesn't have the text bit it doesn't really matter), then I'd be most appreciative to receive them.

[pitiful, pleading smile here]..

You never know, if I get enough, I might even put together a little giveaway .. stay tuned :o)

One Sad little chair

2009-01-17T07:56:00.000+11:00

Well, it has been a week since I even LOOKED at a piece of sewing - school holidays and all - and my sewing chair calls to me as I walk by, in soft sorrowful tones.

To many, it is probably the most hideous of sitting furniture - yellow and green 'plasticane' from an era of no appreciation of subtlety- but to me it is inviting and lovely, bright and cheery, vintage and loved by more than just me in it's history, comfy and supporting with it's slightly splay legs and high back.

Don't you cry little chair, I'll be back soon, and we'll make something together that'll make you smile again.

Mmmm BERRY nice

2009-01-11T18:36:00.000+11:00

Took a drive along the road through Shelford and Teesdale today with the family. We stopped in to visit a cousin, but he wasn't home, so we took the chance in the sunny weather to look about. We came across a berry farm and stopped in for a simple lunch, and were very impressed with their little family business.

We had lunch in the cafe (very fresh, very clean, very friendly, well priced and the most yummy home-made berry icecream),

picked strawberries and a few raspberries, bought some jams and soaps for pressies,

and generally had a thoroughly good time. It passed the kiddy and parent test too ~ it's worth another visit :o)

Here's the website for more information
(oh, and thanks to the staff for letting us take pics)

www.summersensations.com.au

Jump right in - the water is lovely!

2009-01-10T15:19:00.000+11:00

OK, so it is time I jumped in and just started swimming. I've talked blogs for a little while now, but been too SCRRRD to take the plunge, until today. I went to a little local gathering of girly crafty bloggers (I wonder, is the collective for that called a gaggle, a stash, a posey or a tubful?!... hmmm) and left feeling a little silly that I haven't at least given it a go - "Just jump in" - so here I am :o)

I thought I might start by showing you my most recent selvedge goodie... three padded wall panels.

yes, yes, I know - SELVEDGE?! Isn't that the bit you chuck? Well, for most people, yes, but I've always been a bit, well, left-field (otherwise known as loonyville!) and coveted these bits like they were gold.

It's all my gran's fault, you see. Seeing selvedge on the back of one of my gran's cupboard curtains in the spare room when I was young, I asked what it was for, and she replied that it was usually cut off, but the fabric was expensive in it's day, and too precious to be throwing ANY of it away. As the curtain aged, it affectionately became more of a sign of the time, and a history of the fabric that Gran was so in love with in her relative youth.
Well, the curtain is long gone now (wish I had it!) and Gran is happy in a lovely nursing home, but I have never forgotten the selvedge, and when my sewing gene was given a poke (got the gene from my mum, but it never surfaced til recent years after having kidlets) by my friend Karen, my affection for the little tidbits was revived - and there you are.

I cut about 2 inches, including the selvedge, and I am religously not picky about the fabic - it defeats the purpose - the more variety the better.

Of course, if they come from a collection that I am using for a specific project (usually quilting), then I'll keep them together and use them for the binding (with actual text and dot part to the back of the quilt) - I'll take a pic next time I do it and show y'all (I say y'all, but I'm not so sure anyone will actually read this but me..). It's as important to me as the label, and helps date the quilt too, if I'm lucky enough to have the year on one of the selvedge texts (not so common these days).

Friends chuckle about my little obsession (I do have others, but this one gets the most laughs!), but lovingly patronise me with little strippy gifts to add to my collection. When I buy fabric, the shops I frequent most are well used to my pleas for the part of the bolt with selvedge attached - God love them. I am often greeted at the counter with smiles and rolling eyes - "yes, yes, I know - I'll cut the first bit off to sell in the shop and YOU can have the next bit!"

..(cheesy grin here)..

Ok, I'll stop harping on about selvedge.. for now :o)