It's Easy to be "Anonymous"

"Anonymous" need not fear that Chloe is being starved. Reduced rations for 2 days, offered as treats/rewards as opposed to being in her bowl, have resulted in a miraculous change in behaviour. Slowly introduced, with food rewards, Chloe is now coming when called, sitting, allowing her lead to be put on, and walking quite well on the lead. At no time has she been "starved", only alerted to the fact that she needs to pay attention.

I have been working on the 4Patch, adding the end blocks and the side triangles. I printed out the outline of the quilt from EQ, and have been working from that. I knew I would not have enough of the double pink (there was not enough in stock), so I ordered some extra of the Charleston pinks to finish the quilt. I have saved enough of the original fabric for the border, so I am using the others to finish off the blocks and side triangles. It will be good to see it come together after all this time.

Tough Love

Well, how's this for a sad face? Yes, Chloe is using her new quilt, but she is not very happy with me as she has been prescribed some Tough Love by the Dog Training Lady. The DTLady has many years experience with beagles at the Quarantine Service, and she says the only way to Chloe's brain is via her stomach.

So Chloe is now only being fed as treats - the bowl has been put away. Treats are given only as rewards for allowing the training harness to be put on, and when it is on, for walking properly. Poor Chloe... She is very stubborn, and must be getting a bit peckish by now, but still she resists some of the time. Sometimes she just turns her head when I try to put the lead on, other times she will allow it if I have food in my hand. When we get it on she is walking quite well on it in the house and yard, so she is getting some food, but I suspect from the looks I am getting that the tummy is rumbling a bit. The big question is can I be strong enough to wait her out??

In quilting news, I have laid out the blocks I have for the 4patch, and now I feel I either didn't make enough, or I can't find some. This is the problem when you make something over a 12 month period - each time you get back to it you can't remember what you're doing or where you've put everything. My latest calculations indicate that I need 255 4 patch blocks. A blog entry some time back indicates that I was going to make 248. Pretty close really. However when I counted up what I had I could only count 211. So I re-searched, and found another 11 which takes me to 222. Where the rest are, or whether I actually made them, I don't know.

So I think I'll just make some more and if the others turn up one day I can make a doll quilt out of them. I have some strips left over and will make a few from newer fabrics, then get to it. Why do I always make it so hard for myself

In other news, Mum had my old Sunbeam mixmaster fixed this week. It was actually my Grandmother's (Mum's Mum), and my Mum can remember it when she was a teenager, so that makes it circa 1950-ish. I have one original bowl, and a replacement bowl, and the beaters which are a bit mangled looking, but they work.

Mum's Mixmaster is younger obviously but still pretty ancient, and this week we have been looking on ebay for some new beaters for hers, and maybe a back up pair for mine, but I tell you, there are many many shapes and models.

I have bought one pair, which I suspect will fit Mum's machine, as her's has a bigger gap between the beaters, so it can accommodate bigger beaters. So when they arrive we will see. I feel like I should make a cake just because I can. For the last couple of years I have had to search for recipes that don't start with "cream the butter and the sugar", and I'll give you the tip - most recipes start that way!

I have been perusing the recipe books but can't make up my mind. Anyway better dash as it is our Federal Election Day here in Australia, and it is compulsory to vote here. I'd better go and do it now so I don't forget.

PS Something's happened to my header - the last word has dropped off the photo. Why do these things happen? I've been in to try and fix it, but can't.

World Diabetes Day

I was lucky enough to receive a free World Diabetes Day geocoin from Groundspeak. Geocaching.com has an association with Unite for Diabetes and have released these geocoins to travel the world in geocaches to promote awareness of Diabetes. The coins were issued to commemorate the passage of UN Resolution 61/225 and mark the First UN-observed World Diabetes Day on November 14th 2007.

Sadly it is not mine to keep, I am only its guardian, and my job is to release it asap so that others can discover it and hear the message about diabetes. So I thought I'd spread the message here too. For more information go to http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/

As for quilting info, I managed to get up my EQ file from when I tried to work out the yardage for the setting squares, and I have discovered that I need to make 4 rows of 29 blocks, 2 of 27, 2 of 25 and so on til I get down to 1 block in 2 of the corners. So that is all sorted out, thank goodness.

A few people have asked which book the photo of the original was in. It is actually in 2 books that I own. One is The Quilter's Resource Book, and the other is American Quilt Classics.

The other thing I wanted to do here is add my recipe for Scones. I have always wondered about what those in the US call "biscuits", as in a photo they always look like scones to me. What we call a biscuit is a cookie in the US. Recently on Bren's blog Pieces From Me I spied a photo of these biscuits on the side of a plate of food she had photographed. So I asked the question, and she has posted the recipe. It seems there is a recipe mix that is commonly used to make them, but she has provided a link to a site that explains what is in the recipe mix. I always make them from scratch, but the recipe we use is much simpler, and we eat scones with butter, or with jam and cream with tea or coffee, not with our meal.

I like to make them with dates added, or sultanas, and sometimes I add some cinnamon because I love it and put it in everything I can! You can add herbs to the recipe or maybe some cheese to make them savoury.

Here is my recipe: (I'll do it in imperial measurements too, although we are up to date in Australia and use metric like the rest of the civilised world!!)

SCONES

8 ounces (500g) of plain flour + 5 teaspoons of baking powder
OR 8 ounces (500g) of Self Raising Flour
1 tablespoon of butter
a pinch of salt (I leave this out - who needs it?)
6-7 fluid ounces of milk (don't know the metric as I always add it bit by bit and go by feel)
1 dessertspoon of sugar ( I leave this out too as there is sweetness in the dates or sultanas)
1/2 cup of chopped dried dates or sultanas (optional)


Preheat oven to 450 deg F (230 deg C or 210 - 220 deg C for fan forced)

Sift the flour ( and baking powder if using plain flour).
With the fingertips rub the butter through the flour until no lumps of butter are left.
Add the dried fruit and mix well.
Add about 3/4 of the milk and mix well with a flat blade knife. Add further milk as required until you have a soft dough. If it is a little sticky this is ok as you add a bit of flour when shaping the scones.
Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly then pat the dough out about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick with floured hands.
Cut into scone shapes with a round scone cutter or the rim of a small drinking glass.
Place on baking tray.
Glaze the tops with a little milk and place in the oven.
Cook for 12 - 15 mins until golden brown. Don't overcook.

Serve with butter, or strawberry jam and whipped cream.

In unrelated news, Ms Chloe Beagle is in the bad books today. We got up at the Crack of Dawn to go on our walk, and she would not come to me to have her lead put on. This is becoming a big problem and she has been left at home on 2 occasions as a result. Today during "the run away, see if you can catch me" game, she slipped out of the gate and was off. It took me over 30mins to catch her, and I think I would still be chasing her now if not for the fact that she ran under a lady's house (who we know luckily) and she came out and helped me to corner her. She is outside at the moment, and I can hear her scratching at the door to be let in, but I am not responding. She needs some time to think over the fact that a serious adjustment in attitude is required! What I am going to do with her I don't know. Maybe I will have to give in and stop using the lead that she hates. I don't like to give in - I'm the boss - but it is becoming ridiculous. Any experience or thoughts Dog Lovers?

Simon is a good boy who loves his walk and stands at the gate waiting to go.

4 Patches, 4 patches and more 4 patches

I'm sewing, which is the good news. I'm chain piecing these 4 patches, and I feel like I'm just sewing and sewing and they don't seem to ever stop! You probably don't recall, but I made the 4 patch blocks (3 inch finished) ages ago, then the project was put on hold as I didn't have the fabric for the setting squares, and I couldn't find something I liked that I could afford. The quilt is inspired by this old one and I wanted to find a nice double pink. As you would know, double pinks are very popular, and rarely make it to the sale bins, and as I needed 6+ metres, I was hoping to find something a little cheaper than normal. If I had bought it here in Australia it would've cost me A$150, so I was prepared to wait.

Then I saw this one some time ago, and I snapped it up. So I have been sewing and sewing and sewing, then I thought to myself last night, 'maybe I should be thinking about how long the rows are going to be before I sew everything together'. Of course I couldn't find my book that had the calculations in it about how much fabric I needed and how many 4 patches I needed to make. Eventually I found it, and I have to tell you that it didn't help at all! How I worked it out I have no idea.

So now I'm thinking I'll have to try and draw a diagram - the problem being that I want to set the blocks on point... I'm thinking I may have to try and do it in EQ, which I own but never use, as it just doesn't make sense to me. Not logical, so I've never taken to it, plus I'm not much of a planner when it comes to quilts, I'm more a 'seat of your pants' type designer. Maybe this is why I don't get much finished - oh and also because I make everything Queen Sized. Hopeless.

Oh well, I'll have to do something, otherwise I can see myself having these great long rows of blocks that will have to be unpicked as they are too long.

My slump must be lifting as I am now nearly up to date with my bloglines. A few weeks ago the little message would come up saying I had over 3500 posts to read... a bit daunting. So now I have almost caught up with 2 of my Playlists, the first being Doglovers, the second being Favourite Quilters. There are still plenty of unread posts in the Knitting etc List, but it's summer, and I only get the knitting fever in winter. So I'm sorry if I've neglected some of you who I would regularly visit, as I havent' been able to leave comments on all the blogs I've visited, but trust me, I've probably been there. I had a visit from a fairly new blogger called JulieK - I went to her blog today, and was wowed by her beautiful quilts. She is a nurse too and works a lot by the sound of it, so where she finds the time I don't know. Makes me feel pretty slack actually. Many of you already know about her blog, but if not go over and visit. Lots of nice old and traditional quilts, and some amazing hand quilting.

Otherwise, not much happening here. It's a funny old day today - overcast but not raining. I will now go and start up the EQ and see if I can remember what to do. Or I could watch the cricket...

On My Bed

As usual I'm a bit late with everything, but I thought I'd still show what is on my bed. I had to close the door to keep the beagle off the bed, but as for quilts I use my string quilt, then my first ever quilt (Irish Chain) as my back-up quilt.

Still not doing a lot of sewing, but at least I'm blog reading, which is a start. I've had a bit of a dental trauma this week and have been having headaches as a result. A tooth that I had filled last visit has been giving me trouble, which suddenly got worse this last week. The news is all bad, the bottom line being that it is inevitable that I lose the tooth eventually, and no matter which course of action I follow with it, I will be up for Big Bucks. Sadly I don't really have the money, so I am praying that it holds out a little longer. If it comes out eventually I will need to get an implant or something $$$$$$$$$. So I haven't felt too happy, nor have I felt 100%, as there is a little bit of infection there apparently. Sigh...

I really need to do some work in the yard today and mow the lawn, but I don't really feel like it. In fact I think I might go back to bed, as I was up at the crack of dawn to go for a walk. Chloe stayed home this morning as she wouldn't let me put her lead on her. She doesn't like the lead I'm using as it doesn't let her pull, so she has started this thing where she runs away from me when I try to put it on. So today she was left behind. I wonder how she will be tomorrow.

I cooked up the tomatoes after my last post, and yesterday I made some Tzatziki which was nice. The garlic should be really strong today, so I will enjoy finishing that off. I bought a piece of fresh salmon which will be my dinner tonight, so I'll have it with that and some bread and salad.

I Can't Believe It - It's Raining Again

It's such a lovely day today - showers coming across the Bay all day. Such a great day for being inside with the light on. I've spent a fair bit of time on the computer, quilted and sewn the binding on Chloe's little quilt, and made some ricotta cheese. I've never done it before, but thought I'd give it a go after reading about it in a magazine. It's funny how you see a group of things that relate to each other now and then. Mum gave me a yoghurt making kit recently, and then I saw this article which talked about making ricotta, yoghurt and soft cheese from yoghurt. As you are away from the shops here, it's good to be able to make stuff like that occasionally, so I gave it a go.

I now understand why fresh ricotta is so expensive, as you don't get much cheese from your milk. This is what I got from 1 litre of low fat milk, but I think that I could've maybe got more if I had added some more vinegar/lemon juice. I had a look in my vegetarian cookbooks and in a Hare Krishna one I have it said I should add more lemon juice til the whey is clear, whereas mine was still a bit milky. It was really interesting reading, as it talks about why cows are sacred in that religion, mainly because they produce milk which is a major protein source, and that milk is good for your physical and spiritual health. A cow that feels happy and content because she knows she will not be killed once her milk runs dry, gives better sweeter milk, so they say. Interesting stuff.

Anyway, the next thing I'll try is to make it from LongLife milk, which would be ideal. I also want to make some yoghurt cheese, which is just yoghurt with the water drained out of it. You can add herbs and spices to it, or use it as the base for dips and so on. I feel in the mood for cooking - must be the gloomy day, but there isn't much food here to cook. I have a bit of a tomato harvest from the garden, so I might cook them up. The egg or Roma tomatoes look great, but they're a bit floury inside which I don't like that much, so I've been baking them along with the cherry tomatoes with some olive oil and herbs to make a sauce for pasta.

I have been doing a little sewing today too, and have finished the quilting on Chloe's little quilt. It's a really quick job and I've put the binding on too. Just the hand sewing to do now which I might get done tonight. My eyes, my right eye in particular, has really deteriorated lately, so I may have to start using my reading glasses more often. I'm still a bit in denial about it, as I've always had perfect eyesight, and can't get used to the idea that I'm getting old. Plus I prefer to not have the house brightly lit - mood lighting works for me - so that doesn't help with night-time sewing. I'll have to get a lamp just for sewing I suppose with a 100 watt bulb in it!

It's starting to get dark now as it is 6pm and still raining. The dogs are both asleep here on the spare bed, and I could have a lie down too, but I'd better not - too late in the day now. Better think about dinner and have an early night I think.

Travel Bug Tracking

Just a quick post as a few people have asked about watching our "I've Got the Quilting Bug" Travel Bugs.

I have not released mine yet, but I will this week, and Holly's has been picked up by someone but not yet put back in a geocache. The waiting is going to be torture!

If you would like to check in on them occasionally, go to this page http://www.geocaching.com/track . It is the Trackables page and is appropriately headed "Live vicariously through inanimate objects".

All you need to do is type in- I've Got the Quilting Bug -in the 'search by name' field, and they will both come up together. So far they have both travelled 0 km.

Maybe I'm Back...

I might just have the quilting mojo back. This is the little top I have done for Chloe's bed - I'll just bind it in red. I had to wonder to myself if I washed the red fabric, but I think I did. It had the look of a piece of fabric that had been washed then ironed, so here's hoping.

I even did a bit of blog surfing just before, and saw some lovely Repro fabrics that I instantly desired. My mouse went to Start-Favourites-fabric stores and hovered over Z & S, then I thought NO! The budget is tight and I don't need any more fabric (well not at the moment). How strong was that? I'm just not even going to look.

Tomorrow I'm going out on the Bay. Mum and Dad have a boat and they are swinging by the jetty at 10am to pick me up for a day out. I have even been thinking that I should take some hand work to do, but my big hexagon quilt is too big for that now. I did start some small 1930s hexagons ages ago, so I might try and find them tonight. I must be getting better...

I've taken my Q4P badge off too. I can't really keep up with the ring requirements at the moment, and now I find that it is folding all together. It seems someone is going to start the ring all over again using the same name, but I actually feel fairly good about making the decision to drop off. I know this is a quilting blog, but I would like to be able to post more often about some other things, so it's all for the best 'for me'.