OPAM...a new sewing machine...catch up with a friend and a postcard from Russia!!!

Wow...the end of August already and another OPAM (One Project A Month)...

how I am enjoying this project hosted by Peg and Kris!!!

Thanks gals so much for hosting this!!!

This month I have finally finished my A Christmas Wish quilt which was a free BOM (Block of the Month) by Gail Pan...

above is the front of it...

and here is the back...
After beginning cross stitch back in the 1980's...after my daughter did a free sample from Family Circle magazine...I went and bought another copy and did the same...and was hooked!!!
I still have many cross stitch projects here to do...
but slowly I fell into stitcheries...
now into quilting!!!

After over 30 years of the same sewing machine last week Mr Armchair and I purchased a new Bernina machine...(instead of saying machine now I will call it Nina)...with a built in stitch regulator...
This will allow me to do free motion quilting with Nina...that's the plan anyway!!!
I'm all keen to learn quilting now and perhaps some machine embroidery!!!

And here is Nina on our dining room table...
I am so keen I have also ordered a new sewing table and this arrives tomorrow!!!

And look Geo...here is the stitch regulator...

The sample from the shop...my bit is on the right!!!

And my gool old trust Husky which I shall keep and treasure always!!!

Hopefully tomorrow this will all be organized LOL!!!

And in the mail today this postcard from Sue...
showing The St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow...
Thank you Sue!!!

And last week my good friend Natima was in town and we caught up at our favourite bookshop and had a coffee!!!
Great catch up Nat...lovely to see your family again...and Happy Birthday!!!

Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow and starting to get organized...

Happy Quilting...Dzintra♥x

Life Is A Cabaret!!!

Rehearsals have been going on for our amateur theatre's production of Cabaret...

and I have started for my little walk on bit!!!

So very exciting...and this experience gives me a whole new insight into what goes into running a play...

For the rehearsal...on stage is a drinks table for a scene in Act I...

Costumes are being made/altered...here is one my one's awaiting alterations!!!

Shoe box...we have to wear our shoes on stage now...

Backstage looking out to the front...

Curtains awaiting the Chorus Girls dressing room...

and their dressing room so far!!!

Meanwhile...I have been quilting my A Christmas Wish quilt by Gail Pan...
I'm just feeling my way in the world of quilting and have quilted it according to Gail's instructions with my 30 year old plus machine...
I'm keen to learn quilting further and am looking at a new machine tomorrow!!!

Here is the full version...binding still has to go on but I'm hoping it will be this month's OPAM (one project a month)...
Topside of the quilting is red and underneath is cream...

And I couldn't resist this...my new purple boots...

which go with these gorgeous Eiffel Tower hairclips and buttons (centre)...they are just so cool!!! These were bought in the new Handmade shop in Canberra!!!
The Designer, Jennie McClelland, who made these named her business after her two Grandmothers...Edna and Alice May...

To check out Jennie's blog go over here
Jennie herself has a Husband over in Afghanistan...and my Heart goes out to her and her Family while he and our other brave Soldiers are over there...

And look at these fabrics...tres chic!!!

So...tomorrow it's off to try my costume on...and check out my new (maybe) sewing machine so I can get stuck into quilting!!!

As they say...Life Is A Cabaret!!!

~Cook Up With Vicki...No 7~

Boy what a busy time it's been here...but in a very nice way...

JoJo's birthday last weekend...the Event Of The Year in this house LOL!!!

The Craft Fair...family down for a visit...Mr Armchair home for a week...

and rehearsals are under way for our local Amateur Theatre's production of Cabaret!!!

Meanwhile...I have had the best fun doing another cook up with Vicki!!!

Above are the aprons...one for me and one for DG...along with matching tea towel and pot holder...how cute are these!!!

But first, Mr Armchair brought home some cheese...the one on the left is D'Affinois Brie and the other one a Sage Derby...just delicious, especially with a glass of red!!!

This Cook Up from the June/July issue of Donna Hay magazine...

Tonight the menu was...Herbed Polenta Chips...Creamy Cauliflower Soup and Pear and Ricotta Tarts!!!

First I fried a little cauliflower for the garnish on the soup...

The Polenta Chips...very very popular!!!

Together with the soup...the pic should be turned around but I couldn't get to do it!!!

And the most exciting part...I found this Gluten and Wheat Free pastry at the supermarket...I haven't had pastry for quite a while now and was very excited to see it!!!

I simply adore pears especially when cooked...here they are atop the pastry and ricotta!!!

Into the nearly new oven...

All ready...I couldn't stop taking pics of the pears!!!

One version with a strawberry over the ice cream...

And another just with icing sugar...

With srawberries...

And again with ice cream!!!
Very very moorish...especially on these cold nights...

and even more so seeing I haven't had pastry for ages!!!
Off now to make a batch of Cauliflower Soup...

and perhaps over the weekend maybe put some batting and backing to my A Christmas Wish quilt...

Have a great weekend...Happy Cooking...Happy Stitching and

and Bon Appetit!!!

OPAM (One Project A Month) July 2010...and a Giveaway Win!!!

Another OPAM finish...how cool is this...I'd say I've never had as many completed projects as I've had since joining OPAM...hosted by Peg and Kris!!!

This month a cushion...'Keys to my heart' by Sally Giblin...
This pattern was a birthday gift for me from my good blogging friend Andrea!!!

complete with a first for me...Prairie Points!!!
I loved doing these and they weren't nearly as difficult as I'd thought they would be...

back of the cushion!!!

And another finish for this month...this time from Homespun magazine...

this set of little Christmas decorations by Lenna Green for Christmas in July!!!

Then yesterday I received this package in the mail from Jo!!!

I was lucky enough to be her giveaway winner recently of her first pattern and the gorgeous Fat Quarters 'Fleur d'Paris' by Michelle Blackhurst !!!
Thank you so much Jo!!!

July...a great month this year...and the last day for Christmas in July!!!

One more month till Spring...YAY!!!

It's Christmas In July!!!

'Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before...

What if Christmas, he thought,

doesn't come from a store?

What if Christmas, perhaps,

means a little more?'

Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr Seuss)

~1904-1991. How the Grinch stole Christmas~

It's Christmas in July here in our part of the world!!!

Browsing through the latest issue of Homespun magazine (No 86 Vol 11 No 7) I came across these delightful little felt ornaments amongst others...

Designed by Lenna Green of Little Green Cottage...

and a first for me...I received the magazine on a Thursday...

Had made Santa by Thursday and finished the other 2 off by Saturday...

all in time for our very own little Christmas In July dinner...

JoJo just loves to celebrate all occasions...she was so excited about it all...

How could I refuse...

I started off just intending to do Santa for JoJo...


but these were such fun to make I added a Snowman for Mr Armchair...


Santa...


and of course I had to have one too after all that!!!

We made a quick fruit cake...added cherries to the top...a sprinkling of slivered almonds...some brandy...

and made a classic dessert of the custard world...

Floating Islands...In Latvian...Peldosas Salas

In French...Ile Flottante

Floating pieces of meringue in a custard sauce...

for the recipe for Floating Islands check out my other blog My Dolce Vita!!!

Here's to Happy Christmas in July...and Happy Stitching...Dzintra