Saturday, September 20, 2025

FNSI September

 Thought i'd have a change for FNSI sewing. I dragged out Lucy to make an effort of prepping the last 13 blocks i need. I managed 3 -1/2 blocks. :)



As i was taking the photo from my kitchen window(in last blog post) i thought about all the lovely flowers in my front garden which i hardly see because of the way this house was built. "Hmm i really should plant flowers out back". I have some rather large pots which i could use but though a half barrel would be good. Well lo & behold a few days later i discovered them in Aldi. I only bought on but really should have grabbed 2. :( Off to Bunnings for potting mix & flowers & voila I have a lovely view outside the kitchen window. It contains petunias, pansies, snapdragons, alyssum & dianthus.

I was quite excited the other day upon examining the 2nd olive tree for signs of fruit & discovered some. Just tiny little bright green dots at the moment.
Son number 1 brought home a random citrus tree many years ago & we've been wondering ever since what it is. I found 2 flowers on it so cross fingers we may find out what it is.
Last week i had just started to walk out the back to talk to son number 2 when i heard croaking. Upon investigation i found the frog hiding in my large Bilbergia plant
I hope he hangs around. seems to go between being in the plant & being in the pipes. :)

Pop over to visit Wendy to see who joined in for FNSI.

Happy Stitching,




Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Sourdough adventures

 Recently i was talking to my son about getting some starter & having a go at making my own bread. I'd been going to order a starter through a company in South Australia but he said "got a jar i'll get some from work". He is a baker you see. Found said jar which he fills(with permission) & his boss asked him about it & he said why. Boss then said why don't you just take her some ready baked. "No, Mum wants to have a go herself" I think his boss thought i'm a little crazy. :) :) Maybe i am. LOL. I then had to find larger container to transfer the starter into. Luckily i had this in the cupboard.

Starter fed it was time to make a loaf. I had to nip over to Kmart to buy a dutch oven to cook it in.
It came out better than i thought & the baker gave it a thumbs up. :) :)

Yesterday i gave making choc chip sourdough cookies a go
They are yummy. Next time though i would make the balls smaller. The recipe said makes 24 but could easily make double that.

As i was prepping my 2nd loaf my bits & bobs for making sourdough arrived. Good timing as i could use the banneton & the lame for scoring the top.
Glad the whisk finally arrived so i don't have to mix the starter by hand anymore. lol.

todays loaf slowly rising, nearly ready to bake. Next loaf i'm going to try olives in.

The lemon tree had a few lemons on it but they weren't really that great. As i only wanted the rinds i a wasn't concerned about the juice or lack of.
Limoncello in the making. 

I'll leave you with a view out my kitchen window. 
The bottle brush is so pretty. The azalea in the bottom corner is the one i thought was going to die. It looks wonderful all covered with flowers. Top left is one of 2 olives. It has olives starting to form but the other doesn't. It's only the 2nd time its fruited since i moved here(both fruited last time). Cross fingers i don't have broken foot this time around & i can harvest them.

Happy Stitching,








Saturday, September 6, 2025

FNwF September

 Yesterday was FNwF hosted by Cheryll & i had sewing plans. :) Those plans went out the window because it was time for the little annual local quilt show so off i went to see all the beautiful quilts. Sorry i didn't take photos. Fast forward after my day out & it back to stitching this

I managed to get this far before bedtime
I've been checking my bulbs daily & sadly so far none are showing any sign of having flowers except these 2
The freesia has now opened & the smell is divine
This one has had about 6 flowers on since i took the photo.

I'd been to Bunnings recently & bought some pansies, petunias, marigolds & a viola.
i bought a purple/black viola
today the 1st petunia flowered
The azalea i thought wasn't going to survive has burst into bloom
half the bush is now covered since taking this photo. :)

The lavenders are both flowering, the snapdragons from last year are putting on a show & all the daisy type plans are starting to flower as well. So spring has certainly arrived.

This succulent was here when i moved in & for some reason had died back & i thought that was that but somehow it's hung on& growing outside the driveway fence instead of in the garden where it is supposed to be. :)

Now i'm off the get my sourdough bread going. Handy having a son who is a baker as I scored a well established starter from his work. :). Now i need the loaf to turn out well so he doesn't judge me. lol.

Happy Stitching,










FNSI October

 For FNSI it was another Lucy block. Adding the white surrounds. This is where i was at Thursday night. I remembered i needed to dig out som...