~January~

Phew here I am back on the blog and January is nearly over

New Year's Day I like to start a new project so why not make it a big one lol

I thought I would do Anni Downs' My Favourite Things Quilt

The Fat 1/8th bundle is the actual My Favourite Things Fabric and the others are the beiges I will be using

I made a simple Quiche and we thought we would open some Christmas Wine.....French of course

I admired my Bookmark brought home from Riga, Latvia 

The little brooch is the colours of the Latvian Flag......maroon and white
Such a history with this Flag

I made a start on the quilt

I opened up a gift to myself of an apron that I bought in Roussillon on Provence, France

I received this beautiful Tagine at Christmas time
Thank You Danelle

I made a Pear and Almond Tart.......recipe from Manu Feildel's book, Manu's French Kitchen
Mmmmm delicious

My Sister came to visit

and we drove around River Cottage country at Tilba

We checked out a new Cafe/Restaurant at the Mariner, all with a boat view

Took a beach walk

Started some colouring in

Did some quick pickling of cucumbers

And took them to my mate Asta's, a fellow Baltic and enjoyed them with some good ol' Black Rye Bread

Had the little Grandies here for a week

and took another beach walk.

Normally one can get around this corner but not with the tide last weekend....

Hope your January was a good one

Till next time.....Dzintra

Happy Easter...Priecigas Lieldienas

This pic was taken last Easter...eggs coloured using onion skins...

Latvians tend to colour eggs every year...
one method my Mother/Mamin and Grandmother/Vecmamin used was to wrap an egg with coloured cloth...(old clothes and rags were perfect) with thread and then boil...
When cold 'grease' with bacon fat...

I have found a blog written by an American Latvian living in France and Liene describes a bit about colouring the eggs with onion skin...

On Easter Sunday morning we would have 'egg fights'...
choose a partner...position your egg in your hand and then each 'taps' one end of their egg until someones shatters...then turn over and to the other side...the one with unbroken sides wins!!!

Mr Armchair's was different......his family would have turns in tapping the other one's eggs...we weren't that polite ha ha!!!

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.
~Martin Luther~

and I couldn't resist this one...

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!
~Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz~


Wishing all my blogging friends and  families a very Happy and Safe Easter...


Dzintra xoxo

OPAM...(One Project A Month)...A Workshop and Halloween!!!

This month I have finished 4 articles for the SSCS (Secret Santa Christmas Swap) hosted by Chookyblue but I can't show them as it's all a big secret!!!

All will be revealed after my partner has opened her gift on Christmas Day...

OPAM is hosted by Peg and Kris...

so a BIG thank you Gals as I'm sure I wouldn't be completing one item a month without it!!!

Meanwhile...I couldn't have a post without pics so thought I would show a project that I have started at a class at Step's...the workshop for this was held last year and I had everything ready cut up and ready to go but I didn't attend as there was a sudden death in the family...

so it sat around all this time!!!

A gorgeous tablerunner 'Going in Circles' in the French General fabric Rounnieres...

I even had the circles all cut out and pinned onto the backing fabric...

Here I am using molofilament thread and doing a blanket stitch with foot 20...

I am loving everytime I attend a workshop and learn how to use more of my machine...

Apparently this is also needleturn applique...

One of the quilts on display at the shop...

and this is a Postage Stamp Quilt done by one of the girls at a workshop here...

Anni Downs' new fabric 'Some Kind Of Wonderful'...

and a fabric panel of labels from Sarah at Patchworks Plus...

It's Halloween weekend here in Australia...wonder if we'll get any Trick or Treaters?!

I won this banner over at Annabelle's, I tried to put it up but it just seemed to shrink?!

Look at these lovely Halloween pumpkins I saw at the supermarket...never seen these before!!!

I suppose they are for carving...they look great!!!

the carving of jack-o'-lanterns springs from the souling custom of carving turnips into lanterns as a way of remembering the souls held inpurgatory.^[6] The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween,^[7][8] 

I liken this to a ceremony we used to go to when we were children...Kapu Svetkus (Latvian, the link is a translated one) in October...we used to go to the graveyard (sounds spooky I know)...light candles and sing and honour those who had passed away...Halloween is also known as All Saints Eve and originated with the Celts...

I'll sign off now with Happy Halloween to those that celebrate...

and Happy Stitching to all the stitchers...now to get on to my next OPAM project...Dzintra

Colour Swap Sent and Received by Partner...arm update, and a special Visitor!!!

At the start of this year I entered into a 'Colour Swap' hosted by Maree...

easy peasy I thought...then having entered I broke my arm!!!

Just send something handmade...something to eat...a fat quarter and some thread...

My Partner was Dawnfire...and her favourite colour is purple!!!

I wasn't able to send something that I had handmade so I sent this fabric together with a ribbon and a button...

Purple fat quarters...thread...and some little sweets in a tin with a compact mirror...

Thank you so much Dawnfire for your patience...this swap gift was a little late due to the circumstances!!!

Thank you so much Maree for organizing this fun Swap!!!

And back to my arm...it's not healing as fast as it should be...

then again it was broken in 2 places...

more xrays in 4 weeks...

still have to take it easy...

Physiotherapy has started...I can lift no heavier than 2L milk...

and I have exercises to do to get the arm/shoulder moving again...

AND it can take up to 12 months to get full function happening again...Yipes!!!

Couldn't resist this pic...my little Grand daughter Lidija sitting with me...(me looking a bit out of it I think) barely 2 and a 1/2 and she put her big fluffy toy "Iggle Piggle 'on my arm to make it better!!!

How sweet...that was is enough to bring tears to my eyes!!!

I love how she did that just by instinct...perhaps there's a Healer in there!!!

And this little Munchkin Ryan...Lidija's Brother is coming to stay here for a week during the holidays...

how much fun this is going to be...as an added bonus Mr Armchair will still be home caring...

but I am starting to slowly do stuff...

 Ryan's t-shirt says 'Sveiks'...which is a greeting in Latvian,

like g'day...hello...how are you

Looking forward to seeing you Buddy...

A Cheesecake...Gifts...A Coffee Warmer...an Exhibition, a New Play and a Giveaway!!!

Over the Christmas break I made this wonderful scrummy Layered Tahitian Lime Cheescake (gluten free)...

I don't very often get to have cheesecake generally due to the bases not being gluten free...so this one was extra special!!!

Recipe was found in this book Irresistibles for the Irritable by Sue Shepherd

Thanks so much Sue...this was a real hit with my family!!!  I'm sure I'll be making this beauty again!!!

This gift was received from my dear friend Nat who will in the not too distant future be living in our area...

The box in the background was for JoJo...a box of chocolates!!!

This lovely green box with an Eiffel Tower on it!!!

Check out these commemorative scissors...Limited Edition and shaped like the Eiffel Tower...how cool is that!!!

And behind them a little notebook with exquisite pink blossoms on the cover...

Thank you so much dear Nat...I'm still admiring them!!!

Also received all the way from Latvia from my Cousin Dagnija these little gingerbread treats and mini meringues...

Thank you so much Dagnija...Daudz paldies Dagnija!!!

Couldn't resist taking a pic of the Latvian language on the back of the biscuits!!!

In a previous post I showed a pic of a coffee warmer that I was looking at making for our Coffee Plunger...

above are some fabrics I already had in my little scrappy box from left over projects...

I used this little Elephant Pin Cushion made by Thimbelina that I received in a 6 Item Christmas Swap hosted by Maree...

After a few hours work all finished!!!

The inside...

I didn't do the strip of stitchery that was on the pattern nor the applique as I wanted something quick to do...but I did put some buttons on it!!!

And all finished...and I'm pleased with my Coffee Pot Warmer!!!

The Ballets Russes Exhibition...The Art of Costume is presently on in Canberra... with magnificent costumes by artists Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse amongs others...and I've been invited by a friend to visit it!!!

Last night I went to my first ever Play Reading at our local amateur theatre...

The play, a musical comedy is Dinkum Assorted by Linda Aronson...

Set in winter 1942 when 2000 American airmen are stationed near the small town of Warrabadanga, fifteen female workers battle to keep the biscuits baking...

After having so much fun in Cabaret with a non speaking part I might get brave and go for a small part...auditions are on next week and I'm thinking about it!!!

~~~

Meanwhile...Fiona who runs our Needlework Group is having her 2 year Blogaversary and is celebrating with a giveaway...so hop on over and enter if you get a chance!!!  Good Luck...Dzintra