Who needs sleep?

Wow! I'm absolutely amazed at the response to Reach for the Stars. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments about her. I don't think I've been to bed till after 1 am all this week, with getting her ready and then preparing patterns etc.... going a little cross-eyed tonight.

This is the last long weekend for the year. The boys are building a carport to house the cars that seem to be multiplying at home.....children growing up etc. It will be nice when we don't have to do the early morning shuffle of cars.
While they are busy constructing, I'm hoping to do some of the same. I have bought just the right fabric ( I hope) for Inspirations No. 2, I've called her "Pocket full of Miracles" & can't wait to get started.

Love this small floral.

Show and tell soon

Deb :)

Reach for the Stars

We were rained in this weekend...forgotten what rain like that sounds like. Hope it's going in the dams and where it's really needed too. The water is certainly doing wonders for my vegie garden.

It was the perfect weekend to catch up on some sewing and I managed to finish the doll previously mentioned for the Inspiration duo. I decided to enlarge the pattern and the finished result....well, what do you think?

The dress & body are all in one, she was really quick to make and looks fantastic on the wall. She also sports cute little wings - I like angels!

Love her legs....wish mine looked that good!

We had fun trying recipes for a new pressure cooker....where was this incredible machine when I needed it before!!.....when lost in sewing & having forgotten to put dinner on. We had lamb shanks, oxtail stew etc, in record time....delicious!

Also had a catch-up with my friends from "Heart of Gold Creations"- Andrea & Marianne are two very talented ladies as well as being warm & generous friends. I'm lucky to have met them as I'm always inspired after our catch-ups.

I'm off to work on " Pocket full of Miracles " show & tell soon.

Deb

Weekend Project

Holly (daughter) & I came up with this idea for a handy study tidy to go on the wall behind a desk. She's tested it and given it the thumbs up. I love it when a plan comes together!

Holly will have her very first project published in the June issue of Homespun. As a budding young designer that's pretty exciting stuff.

This is a quick shot we took to give you an idea. There are 5 really cool pockets to keep everything in arms reach........ shouldn't have to be looking for calculators etc in the rush before school from now on.
The stitchery panel took all of 'Castaway' to do, so I can't say I haven't seen the entire movie anymore. (Love the whale bit).

Anyway hope you like it.

Happy sewing

Deb

Yummmm!

I made this pie from a recipe my mum had been making for a while and I finally got around to trying it. I wouldn't normally make pies very much, but as it's gotten a little cooler lately I thought it the perfect time to give it a go. Absolutely delicious!

Thought I'd share....you need about 1 kg of chicken (thigh fillets are best for this), 40-50 grams dried shitake mushrooms( soak in water to soften), 4 spring onions, 1-2 tblspns plain flour, 1/2 cup chicken stock, Puff pastry, 1 good tblspns each of Soy sauce, Oyster sauce & Hoisin sauce.

Dice the chicken & fry in heavy pot with a little oil till browned. Add flour and stir. Add chicken stock, mushrooms, shallots & sauces, stir well and cook for 10 min. Remove from heat, cool a little while you prepare the puff pastry. We cut the pastry sheets to line a Texas muffin tray making 6 pies. Brush edges with egg yolk, top with a circle of pastry and brush top with egg. Make a couple of small cuts in the top of each pie and bake in mod-hot oven till brown.

Enjoy!

Deb

ps. makes approx 10 large muffin size pies. (If I'm lucky....lots of taste testers in this house) :)

It's just as good using beef too!

Funky fun

Aren't these gorgeous! My daughter made them as a surprise Mother's Day gift. She's a clever little sausage. There is a 'wattlebee' bee & a little doughnut. The pot was made at school earlier in the year and I filled it with some funky fabric to make a pin cushion to brighten up my work area. ( Same fabric as the birthday doll) Now I have something very special.

It was a lovely day with all the gang, my mum & dad and a relaxing outdoor lunch with plenty of laughs.

Hope your day was special also.

Deb

A sneak Peek!

It's a great feeling to finish a project and be really happy with the results. I have to say I'm delighted ( slightly biased of course) with this one. Started out a real pain as I played with countless fabrics & ideas, but at the twelfth hour (literally), she is complete & ready to go.

Due to magazine agreements etc I can only give a little glimpse now but I hope you find her in the Birthday Issue of Aust Country Threads....I think it's out in August ?

I'm just adding a little blush...it makes them come alive as soon as there is a little colour in their cheeks, don't you think! I use an artist quality chalk pastel and apply it with a dry soft paint brush, a little at a time.

Last weekend was a long weekend....love them! This is a shot looking out at the beach early one morning. The day started dullish but ended up glorious. I was told the day before was even better on the beach but I opted for a big sleep in and a read-a-thon that day, so completely missed it.

I love the way the light hits the water way out on the horizon.

Happy sewing

Deb

Inspiration

Spent the day working on a new design. She will be one of a pair that I have labelled 'Inspiration' . Everyone needs a little help -these two dolls have uplifting messages and hopefully will pass that spirit on.

I'll be painting her hair & tea-staining later, then the fun bit ...dressing! I'll post more photos as I go. This photo is a perfect opportunity to show how to snip into the seam allowance.

Happy sewing

Deb