Lifestyle – 3and3quarters

My 2018 Sewing Goals

Did you know that 2018 marks my seventh year of blogging?! Seven years! Where has the time gone from when I was a shy 23 year old, tentatively entering the scary waters of online blogging? It seems like a life-time ago!

Anyhoo! A new year has started (even though we’re four months in already!! Eek!) and my precious little blog has been screaming out for some love and attention.

November… November was the last time I sat down, logged on and typed my little heart away catching you all up on my Sewing Room Adventures.

With lots of fun and laughs in between, April (!!) has now rolled around and it’s time to put my 2018 Sewing Goals out into the void, hoping that each one will get accomplished before 2019 creeps up on us!

MY 2018 SEWING GOALS:

+ Simple Cross Quilt (My first finish for 2018! Whoo!!) +

What started out as a basic WIP first started in 2016, I dug these blocks out, quickly whipped up another nine to make the quilt top a 5×5 block pattern and as though it was just like over night, the quilt is finished, including a label! (Go me!)

I love everything about this quilt! The colours, the prints, the texture from the quilting, the kitty-cat backing (!!!) and the fun gingham binding finishing it all off.

This had to be one of the easiest and quickest (minus the blocks sitting unfinished for two years!) quilts I’ve ever made and I just adore it!

Wanna make this block?? Click here for the tutorial! (You’re welcome! x)

+ Pixelated Rose Quilt +

This little beauty of quilt has been on the go since May of last year. Over the past 7-8 months, I’ve been chipping away at building each individual block together to make up the whole. And now that all of the blocks have been joined together, a mammoth quilt top that I wasn’t expecting has emerged and the procrastination brakes have been applied at full force!

About a month or so has passed since the top has been finished and low and behold it’s still hanging in the same place (on a side hutch in our kitchen as it’s the only place big enough to house the size of this baby!). Every day I look at it and think, I really need to give this quilt top some more love!

It’s not that I don’t want to finish it… It’s just applying the time to rearranging the whole house to accommodate the size of the quilt so that I can back and baste it and then have the available time and space in my sewing room to get it quilted. (Whew!) I have a lot things happening in my little sewing room, so allotting time/space for sewing, filming tutorials, quilting etc, is a tricky one at best!

BUT, enough with the excuses!! Simple fact of the matter, is that this quilt top needs to be quilted and deserves to be finished (cos it’s soooo pretty!), by me, by at least the end of the year! (That still gives me some wriggle room to procrastinate a little bit more, right?!)

Wanna make this quilt?? Click here for the free downloadable pattern from the Riley Blake website! (You’re welcome! x)

+ Swoon Quilt +

Now this. This is what I’m working on right now and am absolutely LOVING IT!!

For ages I’ve wanted to dive in and make a humongous Swoon Quilt! I’ve lusted and envied over so many beautiful versions of it in my Instagram and Pinterest feeds. This year, I thought, what the heck! Let’s add another make into the mix and see how far I get with it!

You see, one of the main goals I had this year was to simply make more quilts. To find the time to do some more ‘me’ sewing. Projects that I make only for myself without doing a tutorial or some sort step-by-step guide on how to do it. I just wanted a few quilts that I could make for me and my itchy-hands! And this Swoon Quilt represents just that!

So far, I’m 8 blocks in to a 9 block quilt top, using fabrics that just simply catch my eye while making the Swoon design pop from afar!

Wanna make a Swoon Quilt too?? Click here to find the pattern! (You’re welcome! x)

+ Rediscovering ‘Like Diamonds In The Sky’ Quilt Top (Quilt name will be changing!) +

Within the last week or so, I rediscovered an old favourite quilt top that I started sometime in 2014. It features a block that I made as a tutorial on my YouTube channel called the Friendship Star.

I had started quilting this one but ended up really hating the choice of quilting I chose to do. (Free Motion Quilting really isn’t my thing!) I think it’s taken me about three years, on and off, to unpick all of the stitches to free the quilt top from the batting and awful backing fabric I paired with it. (Lot’s of decisions were made with this quilt that were just wrong, wrong, wrong!) Now the time has come to re-write those wrongs and finish this quilt to a beautiful standard that I’m absolutely happy with!

To be honest with you, I actually really love this quilt top. And always have! The blocks are bright and vivid while the overall design is still quite dark and subtle because of the navy solid background. It’s such a perfect balance.

I’m thinking for quilting, just to keep it really simple. Straight-line grid criss-cross across the entire surface (hey, it’s what I do best!) and then do a contrasting binding to bring everything together. Super easy!

Wanna make a Friendship Star block too?? Click here for the tutorial! (You’re welcome! x)

Now, moving onto a few quilts/projects that aren’t in the current making but are the list to do this year…

+ Christmas Quilt +

I am so determined to make a Christmas Quilt this year! If I didn’t have about a gazillion other things on my plate right now, I would’ve started it an hour ago!

Whenever Christmas rolls around, I’m always so bummed that I don’t have a beautiful festive themed quilt to pull out and enjoy throughout the season. (Even though Christmas in Australia is during Summer and having the need for a snuggly heavy quilt anywhere near you is totally out of the question!)

The pattern that I’m itching to start is one by Thimble Blossoms (the same lady who designed the Swoon Block/Quilt) called, Winterville.

It’s such a super cute pattern and I’ve already been collecting little bits of fabric for the houses and little Ohio Star blocks. It’s gonna look great once it’s finished!

+ Christmas Tree Skirt +

Another Christmas project I’ve been wanting to make for years now… A Christmas Tree Skirt!

I came across the perfect pattern quite randomly when I was replenishing our paper patterns stock at work one day. It’s a McCalls’s pattern (M7704) and features the sweetest gingerbread people paired with Christmas Trees and Christmas candies. I just thought the designs together were really lovely and are totally the type of design I love around this time of year.

The pattern looks quite simple and straightforward, with the option to mix lots of designs together into one final skirt for the tree. Perfect!

+ Winter Jacket +

This one was a project I had wanted to make for winter last year (so we’re looking at around May 2017 sometime…) but is yet to leave the bag it came home in!

I think I’ve written about this one before… But anyhoo, I just really wanted to make myself a really nice jacket that I could wear to and from work or on nights out during the colder months. I have made a winter jacket before when I was briefly at uni one year in my mid twenties. But it’s quite amateurish and the fabric I chose is really quite awful. Perfect excuse to make another one, right? Right!

The pattern I hope to make/follow is by Simplicity (1254), is fully lined and has a weird collar/hood thingy that looks intimidating as heck to make!

I’m no dressmaker and possess very little patience for it, but with grit and determination, I’m gonna give it a go and see where I end up!

(Please send chocolate and lots of encouraging hugs! Thanks! x)

+ New Sewing Machine +

So I treated myself to a new sewing machine a few months ago… Yep. All for the sake of being able to quilt my massive Pixelated Rose Quilt that I haven’t started quilting yet.

In all honestly, I was ready for an upgrade. My previous machine (a Brother Innovis 200QE), as brilliant and perfect it is, was becoming a bit too small for the types of quilts I’m moving into making this year. (They’re all big ‘uns! God help me!) My new Brother (a PQ1500SL) is huge! It’s powerful, fast, roomy, does everything I ask of it and more and I just want to use it all day, everyday! (Hence all of these beautiful Swoon Blocks popping up in my Instagram feed!)

If you didn’t see it, I recently filmed a very honest review about this machine on my YouTube channel. (I also did an unboxing vlog too if you’re interested!) I went through the pros and cons I’ve found with the machine along with elements I’ll get used to as I sew with it more. From the comments left on the video, I think it’s been quite insightful for people to watch especially those who were/are planning on buying the same sewing machine.

+ YouTube Catch Up +

While on the subject of my YouTube channel, I’ve been uploading lots since I last wrote on here…

We’ve had Christmas where I did a thing called Vlogmas. Basically I vlogged everyday during December right up to Christmas Day (which I also filmed!). I really thought I would struggle do it but I actually really enjoyed it and fell in love with vlogging and creating that kind of content for my channel. Everyone who watched was so supportive and encouraging and I think we kinda bonded a bit more which I love!

In January I went to New Zealand and vlogged it too! I went with my parents and some family friends and had an absolute blast! I can’t wait for the day I get to go back and explore more!

February and March have been a mix of a few more vlogs, some tutorials and stuff all about my new sewing machine!

Over the next few weeks, I’m hoping to launch a new Quilt Along series on my channel (and here on my blog too)! Inspired by a viewer, this time around we’re focusing on mini block designs, with all of the blocks we’ll be making measuring a sweet 5″ square! Each block pattern has been written up and (somewhat) finalised, I have just a few smaller details I need to sort out before realising the series out into the world, block by block as I’ve done in the past.

Stay tuned for that coming very soon!

+++

So that’s everything! It’s been a world-wind few months and so much stuff has been crammed in. (With more to come!)

I’m hoping I’ll also be able to dedicate some more time to writing here, on my blog. I’ve always enjoyed the process of blog writing and feel so relaxed and lighter once I hit that ‘publish’ button. I love sharing what I’m doing and hope to do in my sewing room with you and love hearing the awesome feedback you guys always give me!

Let’s make 2018 a productive one full of lots more quilts, crafty projects and good times with family and friends!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

My 30th Birthday Weekend

Let’s be honest, I’m not one for the attention that birthdays bring. I’m a typical wall-flower type of gal who likes to happily sit in the wings and watch the world float by.

However, the week leading up to along with the weekend that my 30th fell on, ended up being one of the busiest I’ve had in a long time…

So you know how I rave on about being a Florist and such? Well I actually put my skills into use and only did flowers for my first ever wedding!!!

The bride was the daughter of a family I’ve grown up with pretty much most of my life, so it was an honour to be asked and to contribute to her and her husband-to-be’s magical day.

Prep for the big day began early Thursday morning with trip one of two to the Sydney Flower Markets. Day one concentrated on getting foliages – leaves and greenery. Friday, day two, was all about the flowers! And boy did we get lots of flowers! The colour palette was whites, blush pinks, peaches and soft and rustic pastel colours and highlights.

I managed to pick up an array of perfectly coloured Roses, in-season Ranunculus, darling peachy and white Spray Roses, beautifully perfumed Stock, fluffy stalks of Babies Breath and Carnations, feathery lime-green Aspidistra and a whole host of other fun blooms and greeny bits.

The rest of Friday was a bit of a blur of gum leaves, chatter and laughter (I had a good friend come over and help for the day! She’s a real legend!), unnecessary faffing over flower placements, over-the-top swooning over beautiful blooms and total contentment in the sheer joy of what I was doing. (Even though my stress level was at about a 9 out of 10! There was even a moment early in the day when I had a small panic attack that I hadn’t bought enough Roses! No need to worry, I had plenty in the end!)

After another early start on the day of the wedding to get all of the last minute ribboning and packaging done, it was off to the venue to set up flowers for the ceremony, the three tier cake, the bridal party and reception tables.

Bridal Party Flowers in the back of my tiny car, ready for delivery!

The ceremony and wedding itself was beautiful. The bride and her maids looked gorgeous, the groom and his men were very handsome and everything went smoothly. Safe to say, I slept well that night!! 😀

+++

The next day it was my birthday!

I spent a quite morning at home, cleaning up my mess from the past three days. I even made myself a birthday bouquet out of the few left over flowers that didn’t quite make the cut for the wedding!

Then my family and friends all gathered at a local high-rise restaurant that served High Tea and chatted and laughed the afternoon away.

We had a birthday cake, lots of cute little bit-sized treats, scones with jam and cream, fancy hot teas and fresh yummy sandwiches.

It was such a lovely day spent with my close family and friends. Not too much fuss was made and I took the day and birthday wishes as they came. Which is always enough for this quiet little wall-flower!

+++

Before I go, a BIG thank you to all of you for your lovely birthday wishes you left me either on my YouTube channel, Instagram or Facebook. I appreciated every single one!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

‘Tis The Season // 2016

Words truly fail me when I think of just how fast this year has gone…

I can very clearly, to the day, remember exactly what I was doing this time last year in the lead up to Christmas, almost as if it was yesterday! Yet so many things – moments, milestones and memories – have past in between and it’s hard to believe that we’re only days away before starting a new year all over again!

To me, December always feels like if you blink you miss it, you know? This December has been no different. With a time demanding retail job, everyday life responsibilities, sickness, YouTube content to shoot, edit and upload along with the ever-looming Christmas Day deadline to buy presents, bake, cook, clean and sing at Carol nights, I’m surprised I’m still able to get up early in the morning and get the day started!

+++

To start this post off, I would first like to issue an apology. Everyone reading this who is following along with my latest Quilt-Along I’m so sorry for taking aaaaaages to get Block Eight up. My excuse is muddled up somewhere in the last paragraph! 😓

But in all seriousness, I honestly haven’t had the time to film the bulk of the tutorial because of my work schedule and a few other life-y type things. This week, leading up to Christmas has just been the busiest. I’ve practically been living at work due to extending trading times and such while attending Christmas lunches and parties. So in between that, Carol services, gift buying and sleeping, all of my video and tutorial making have been temporarily placed to one side ready to be picked up again early in the New Year.

Another thing I was hoping to get done and show you was a Christmas themed Stop-Motion Embroidery video. (A bit like this…) The pattern was chosen, the beautiful white linen fabric and gorgeous coloured threads to match were bought and the pattern was meticulously transferred onto the fabric. And that’s how far I’ve gotten. Boo!

christmasembroidery — PATTERN SOURCE: Urban Threads

I was so excited to get stitching and enjoying watching the pattern come to life through my numerous photos. But again, that tricky life element called ‘time’ has killed my dreams to their core and made the project flop graciously on its head. Anyway… I’ll keep it in mind to do for next Christmas!

Let’s move on from my hum-drum excuses and complaining onto some more exciting news! In the next week or so, the 2^nd of January to be exact, I’m going on holiday! I’m going on a week-long cruise with my parents down to Melbourne and around Tasmania on the Emerald Princess! Words aren’t enough to describe just how excited I am – I’m so desperate for a holiday! We booked this cruise all the way back in 2014 sometime, so it’s been a long time coming! I hope to be able to take lots of photos and even film a little bit for you to make into a Holiday Vlog just like I did for our Fiji cruise in 2014. I even bought a fancy new camera for the occasion so there are no excuses to capture something to show you!

And speaking of something to show you… I recently filmed something fun for my channel that I haven’t done in quite a while. It’s a ‘What’s In My Bag?’ video! I’m not sure if you’re at all interested in what I keep in there, but for those of you are a little bit nosey like me, I think you’ll like it! It’s just something a bit fun and lighthearted for this time of the year and gives an opportunity for you to get to know me more! If you wanna have a glimpse at the things I carry around with me all of the time you can see it right here!

+++

So now that another year is over, it’s time to start planning for the next!

I will be continuing with my Quilt Along series in January – we’ll get all 12 blocks finished and then piece, baste, quilt, bind and label the quilt and admire it and cherish it forever! There are lots more tutorials and other content I want to make next year too – hopefully with a mix of sewing, crafting, floristry and lots more lifestyle and vlogging elements!

While still working at Spotlight, I’m planning on enrolling and studying the next certificate level up in Floristry where I’ll learn more complex designs and arrangements as well as explore the ins-and-outs of business management! Ooo!

Along with that, I have two very good friends who are getting married next year, another wedding where I’ll be doing the flowers AND I’ll be also turning the big THREE-OH in September! Crazy!!

It’s gonna be a great year! I can feel it already!!

Happy Festive Sewing, Friends!

PS. Oh! I almost forgot! I have actually managed to finish one Christmas project that I started a few weeks ago! You may remember this darling appliqued snowflake design I shared on my Instagram all ready to be stitched into place on the machine…

I have since backed it with a matching chevron print fabric, stuffed it with a ginormous cushion insert and placed it on the lounge to be snuggled against, leaned on and comfortably squished by all ranges of backsides! I’m so happy with how it turned out!

Happy Days!!

Long Time, No Word…

Hello my lovely Friends!

It’s been a bit of a while between posts, huh? This is the part where I typically write up my excuses… Busy life. No time. Unbelievably tired. So on and so on.

Well, although I haven’t been sharing very much both here and on my YouTube channel, I’ve been busily planning, designing and organising behind the scenes! Yeah!

One major thing that’s in the works is my next Quilt-Along series! I know, I know, I’ve been teasing what’s in store for the past few months but I do promise it’ll be starting very soon!

Planning time, using 'Printshop' by Cotton+Steel! — Planning time, using ‘Printshop’ by Cotton+Steel!

All of the blocks have been designed and are ready to go and the over-all layout of the quilt is locked in! Now I’m just waiting on the arrival of my fabrics (I’m using ‘Printshop’ by Cotton+Steel) and I’ll get straight into filming! I’ll also then be able to release an official start date as well as a full run-down of all of the info you’ll need to sew along with me (in blog post and video form)! TBH, I did want to have it started by now but a few unforeseeable things came up that prevented the series getting started. But no worries, it will be getting underway very soon and I’m so excited to get into it! I miss making tutorials for you!

Moving onto making content for my YouTube channel, I wanted to share an idea I’ve recently been seriously thinking about. I’ve mentioned this before, but one of my favourite types of content to watch on YouTube are Vlogs. This is where people film their everyday daily life and either upload it everyday or patch the week together into a weekly video. I did begin doing something like this on my channel a few years ago but it fell by the way-side as I felt I wasn’t quite ready to make that kind of content yet. But is this something you’d be interested in watching if I did this on my channel? Do you wanna see what happens in my everyday life? Obviously it’s a big thing to take on. I’m naturally very quite and shy and keep a lot to myself, so this would be a huge adjustment and fun challenge for me to take on. But it’s something I’ve been mulling over in my mind this past month or so and would really love to take it up and try it out. I’ve even begun researching what camera and equipment I could use to make the vlogs the best that they can be! Anyway, I would love to know what you think! Any feedback is good feedback in my opinion! 🙂

+++

In other news, just like my blog and channel, my poor sewing machine has been sadly neglected over the past few weeks. 😦 Call it being busy. Call it lack of inspiration. Call it a creative-brain-block. Whatever it is, I just haven’t felt the old spark or natural urge to do any ‘personal’ sewing. It’s actually really bumming me out. (It’s also another reason why I haven’t been blogging recently. There hasn’t been anything new to share with you! Or any photos to upload into this blog post!) Although I’m really excited to get started on my Quilt-Along, I don’t have any exciting sewing to get into while waiting for it to begin. Everyday I scroll through my Instagram feed and see all of you making such beautiful blocks, quilts and projects while I’m sitting here feeling guilty about not getting on with anything or whipping up something special to share with you… Ho-hum, hopefully I’ll break through my creative doldrum soon and find that good ol’ inspirational spark again! Fingers crossed!

So hopefully it won’t be too long between this post and my next! I’ll try not to let a month(!) fly past without touching base with you!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

PS. By the way, have you seen my latest block tutorial? I made a FPP Arrow Block!

GET THE TEMPLATE: FPP Arrow Block Templates

May 30th: A Busy Couple of Days…

Hello Friends!

You may’ve been wondering where I’ve been?! No word or post since last Wednesday! My bad! I tried so hard not to fail at writing and posting something each day in May but ended up falling at the last hurdle! Oh dear!

But to be completely honest with you, the past few days have been pretty busy with only today being the first time where I actually have a moment (and the energy) to sit and write.

Let’s start with the big news first! I’m working back at Spotlight again! Huzzah!

I had my first shift back last Friday and then worked another day on Saturday. It was so great to be back. It felt as though I had been on a big (and very extended) holiday and finally returned back to reality! All of my old (but good) habits kicked back into place while the Sew Centre department I work in felt comfortable and familiar. There’s still a few things behind the scenes I’m a little bit rusty with, but my good-customer-service-hat is still in top notch and my internal struggle not to buy all the fabric has uncomfortably returned! Ahh!!

And on top of my very exciting return to work over the weekend, my body decided to treat me with a lovely and very annoying bout of Laryngitis! Yay! (Not!) So I’ve been drinking lots of Green Tea with lemon, sucking on Strepsils and rugging up under some deliciously warm and cosy quilts (the best medicine, I say!), in an effort to get better as soon as I can!

So because of these two things, I’ve yet again had to neglect my YouTube channel this weekend! (Boo!) I have two (with the potential of three) new videos to film, edit and upload for you over the next week or so… One being my April and May Favourites, the other a requested chatty catch-up video sharing with you all the things that are happening in life at the moment and then the potential third one being a vlog of the VIVID Light Festival that is currently happening in Sydney! We’ve been to the festival for the past two years and you can see the 2014 and 2015 videos here! So when I get my voice back to it’s full strength, I’ll do my best to get those videos up while working around my busy work/study schedule!

And speaking of study… I’ll be finishing my Floristry course in a little over two weeks!! OMG!! So exciting! Also, I know I mentioned that I would be doing a Flower Crown tutorial sometime during my Everyday May series… Unfortunately because of time restraints and lack of funds, I’ve had to push it back to another date that will be very soon! I’ll possibly turn it into a video tutorial on my channel! (And then after that I’ll be onto the beginning stages of planning our Star Sampler Quilt Along series!! Yay!)

As the month draws to a close, I hope that you’ve all entered my Everyday May Giveaway I announced last week??!! If you haven’t, it’s not too late! Just click here, read the blog post on how to enter and then leave your comment! The winner will be announced in tomorrows blog post!! BTW, I’ve been absolutely loving learning what kinds of books, people and platforms you love learning quilting and sewing from! I’m totes gonna check out some of those titles! 😀

I hope you’re all doing well!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

May 21st: Not Worth Reading…

Let’s be honest, today’s post really isn’t worth reading…

The day had literally flown by with me barely keeping up!

The day started with an early rise and drive to the flower markets with mum where I bought flowers for class this week. Lots of beautiful natives, a whole tonne of big Hot House Chrysanthemums and a few odds and sods to get me by. (I’ll show you more during the week on Instagram!)

Home just before lunch where I dived straight into a never-ending list of homework tasks and assessments! Urgh!

Then tonight at my church, the PWA put on a Roaring 20’s night where all the ladies were dressed up like sparkling dames and the men all in sharp crisp suits. Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures – sorry! I was enjoying myself too much to have my phone out! 🙂

So now the end of the day is here and I’ve come up short on a blog post. I actually had planned to write a post all about my growing garden of succulents and ferns but obviously that hasn’t happened! I’ll see what I can do tomorrow to bring that to you! I’m super proud of the little garden my dad and I have going at the moment!

So apologies for a post that really wasn’t worth reading… No photos or fancy words of inspiration today. Just the cold hard sting of reality. Oi I’m tired. And when I do, I get all weird and philosophical just like that odd sentence about reality…

Must. Sleep.

Goodnight, Friends!

PS. Thanks for all of your feedback about my Simple Cross Quilt yesterday! I’m gonna do it! 20 block quilt here I come!

😀

May 14th: Visiting the Sydney Flower Markets!

Since starting my Floristry course a few months ago, I’ve been visiting the Sydney Flower Markets early most Saturday mornings to buy my flowers for class the follow week.

To be honest, for a while there I was so intimidated by the place that I really struggled with the thought of going each week. It’s a pretty hectic place to visit when you’re not used to packed market conditions and very busy people rushing about! I’m not all that good with crowds and quite intense busy environments! However, with each visit I get under my belt I’m getting just that little bit more experienced and confident in what to buy and how to face the busy madness of the place!

On today’s flower run, I was happily accompanied by a good friend, Sam, who I’ve known since high school. Together we perused all of the different stalls, discussed colour choices and plant names, swooned over pretty flowers and then spent a fair good amount of money on them! (Well I definitely did anyway!)

Amid all of that, I even managed to get a few snaps to show you what was at the market this morning!

ChoosingColours — Matching & Choosing Colours!

I really can’t believe that I’ve only got a few more weeks of shopping as a student and then it’s on to the ‘real thing’! (What ever the ‘real thing’ will actually be!) Time has flown by so quickly and I’m not sure whether I’m ready to leave the comfort of my classes and ever-knowing, lovely teachers!

Also, I never thought I’d say it but I’m actually gonna miss making the trip into markets each weekend and getting what I need for class the follow week. It’s that concept of innocence you still have as a student… You’re still in that learning phase where you’re discovering new flowers and plants in class and then seeing them for sale at the market! (Always exciting!) And then there’s that moment when you bring your haul of flowers home and really connect and discover their beauty!

(Whoa! I’m talking like a real Florist now! OooOoo!)

😀

+++

Wishing you all a lovely, lovely weekend!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

May 8th: Happy Mother’s Day!

Today in Australia we celebrated Mother’s Day!

I treated my mum to a lovely bunch of red roses that we bought when visiting the flower markets yesterday morning as well as a fun little wooden trinket sign that reminds me perfectly of her!

We (my family and I) spent a really nice, relaxing day together by taking a lovely afternoon drive around Colo Heights and Ebenezer which are ‘country’ like areas north west of Sydney, close to the Blue Mountain ranges.

I only got out of the car once (not only was it raining but there’s been a lot of smoke hanging around in the area due to back burning) when we stopped at a beautiful old church in Ebenezer which happens to be the very first Presbyterian church in Australia!

It was a beautiful building to step into. Very little and quaint. It even had a fab Ohio Star tile design in the front foyer!

The church itself is surrounded by an ageing yet very locally historic cemetery with families buried together dating from the mid 1800s+. There were even a few young ones who died in battle in WWI. It was fascinating yet very sombre. It was such a sweet place to visit.

Then after driving up and down through some very winding roads and navigating our way though the thick smoke trapped in the mountain ranges, we arrived home late in the afternoon to have delicious chicken burgers with a fresh salad and then a slice of cake! (What’s a Mother’s Day without a decadent sponge cake! Yum!)

And that was mum’s day made!

+++

Wishing all of you Mothers who read my blog a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Lots of love!

May 7th: Mum’s Chewy Chocolate Slice!

If you already couldn’t tell, I love baking! And there’s nothing better then to make a classic recipe you grew up with your mum making!

So I thought, in lieu of Mother’s Day coming up tomorrow, I’d share with you a wonderful memory from my childhood and of my wonderful Mother in the form of this delicious Chewy Chocolate Slice!

Enjoy!

+++

You will need:

125g (4 ounces) of melted butter

220g (1 cup) of brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or essence)

75g (1/2 cup) of plain/all-purpose flour

35g (1/4 cup) of self-raising flour

2 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder

40g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut

For the chocolate icing you will need:

160g (1 cup) of icing sugar

2 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder

10g (1/2 ounce) of melted butter

1.5 tablespoons of hot water (approx.)

Method:

First, preheat the oven to 180C or 350F. Grease a 20cmx30cm slice pan and then line it with baking paper, extending it about 5cm (2″) over the sides.

Combine together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl.

Neatly sift the two flours and the cocoa powder over the wet ingredients and then gently mix them together.

Add in the coconut and stir to combine.

Carefully spread the mixture evenly into the pre-prepared tin and then bake for about 30 minutes or until it is firm to touch.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl. Add in the melted butter and hot water and stir until it becomes a spreadable consistency.

While the chocolate slice is hot, evenly spread over the chocolate icing, finishing it with a sprinkle of some extra coconut.

Allow the slice to cool in the tin before cutting it into 12 or so slices, depending on how you choose to cut it!

Store the slice in an airtight container for up to a week.

+++

I always get such a huge rush of nostalgia when I make (and eat) this lovely slice and I really hope you enjoy making it!

Happy Baking, Friends!

Inspiration: Baking Day by The Australian Women’s Weekly.

May 3rd: Honest Tales of a Floristry Student

So if you didn’t know, at the beginning of this year I started a Floristry course after always wanting to do so ever since my last year in high school.

Safe to say I’m really enjoying it and am learning a lot about flowers and plants than I ever thought I would!

So in today’s post I thought I would give you an honest account of what a typical day/week for me is and what it’s really like to be studying as a floristry student!

Let’s start with the basics…

I have classes three days a week; Monday 9am-3.30pm, Wednesday 8am-4.30pm and Thursday 8am-4.30pm. On Mondays and Wednesdays we have prac lessons in the morning and then in the afternoon we concentrate on the theory side of the course: basic retail knowledge (so how to work competently in all areas of a retail florist shop) and then a plant class where we learn all about the anatomy of plants, plant care, plant names as well as health and safety info. And because I’m in an ‘accelerated’ course (meaning we just finish the course sooner than our other classmates), Thursday is an all-day prac day where we’re currently learning how to construct formal and informal Trail Bouquets!

Here is a layout of some of the most basic tools I have in and around my tool box…

one: 22 gauge wires. Used for wire-based designs and arrangements such as Corsages and Wedding Bouquets. Comes in thicker and finer gauge sizes.

two: Parafilm. A stretchy, self-sealing tape that is wrapped around exposed wires. It prevents rusting and allows wires to grip onto each other better.

three: Some darling deep burgundy Chrysanthemums that I’m currently using in my arrangements.

four: Floristry scissors. Perfect for cutting flower stems and all wires!

five: Flower Foam. Used in posy boxes and bowls, bats and wreaths as a water source for the flowers. The foam allows the flowers to last longer and gives the florist better control with placement when making an arrangement. Designs featuring floral foam will usually cost more as opposed to those without. The one I use is by Oasis which is considered the best kind in the industry which I whole heartedly agree with!

Now, of course there are so many more other things in my tool box but as I write this, my actual tool box is on campus and what’s above is all I had on hand at home to show you!

🙂

Here are some of my favourite designs I’ve learnt so far… In class we usually practice each design twice and on the third go we’re assessed and marked! Eep!!

(FYI: you may’ve already seen some of these in my Instagram feed!)

This was my very first attempt at a Formal Wired Posy! It features pink Roses, pink Carnations, Sedum (the green spiky bits), white Spray Roses, pink Hyacinth florets and a foliage leaf called Ruskus.

And this was the one I made for assessment, which included a ribboned handle!

Another design we’ve recently learnt was the ANZAC Chaplet.

Made traditionally with laurel leaves (symbolising victory and honour), three sprigs of rosemary (each representing the Army, the Navy and the Air Force) and red poppies (symbolising remembrance), I made this one using Camellia leaves and red Gerberas as these are what were in season at the time! The base of the chaplet is styrofoam wrapped in a green wreath wrap that resembles the texture of garbage bin bags! Each leaf is tacked on using bent 2″ pieces of 18 gauge wire in a particular pattern where each leaf overlaps the one before it hiding the ‘mechanics’. Although after a while my thumb begun aching from pushing thick wire pins into the styrofoam, I really enjoyed making it. The technique was soothingly repetitive and created a very tactile surface that makes my quilter’s heart flutter just that tiny little bit!

Now this little guy I loved putting together! The design is called an Asymmetric Arrangement Gift Hamper. This arrangement features the use of floral foam that is placed in a special plastic bowl with a cage that keeps the foam in place. I choose materials that would compliment the colour of the bear, the ribbons and the basket itself. (FUN FACTS: That basket belonged to my maternal Grandmother and is used in my sewing room to hold all of my unfinished projects while the bear was a Christmas gift from my BFF a few years ago!) The flowers in this arrangement include yellow Gerberas, white Roses, green Mollca Balm with Viburnum leaves, maroon Cordyline leaves, green Monstera leaves and a few dried out Tortured Willow branches at the back.

And then lastly we have the wired Cake Decoration (top) with a Spray (bottom). These pieces are essentially made as a mini version of the wired Formal Posy and a simple Corsage! Admittedly, I did struggle with making this one at first as you needed to get the top part sitting flat as possible while getting the bottom spray to curve nicely and be in proportion to the top. Sooo tricky!!

Currently in class we’ve just begun getting into some of the funeral designs such as Sheafs, Wreaths, Open Sprays and Casket Sprays (both constructed using floral foam), along with more wedding designs such as the Trail Bouquet, Hand-Tied Wedding Posies and Table Arrangements.

Okay, now I think it’s only fair to be absolutely honest about the pluses and minuses to Floristry… Let’s do the bad things first and then finish it off with the good!

Minuses:

The early mornings! (Boo!): Having been a night owl for last few years, the crazily early mornings have been definitely a shock to the system! Since when was there a 5.30am?? But with time and a solid routine, I’m getting used to the early wake up calls – I’m actually involuntarily waking up 6.30am! What!? Funnily enough I’ve actually always loved getting up early as it makes the day seem longer and I’m always able to get more stuff done! Plus there’s always something so nice about waking up before or with the sun and breathing in the fresh, crisp morning air and consciously planning your day out.

Dirty fingernails (and most often than not, chipped as well!): That was the one thing that steered me away from Floristry. I had someone tell me not to do it as it would ruin my hands. Even my Floristry teacher said it would ruin your fingernails the day we had sign-ups. But I thought, I’m not going to let that one thing stand in the way of my interest! Yes my fingernails maybe dirty and stained a light green at the end of the day but there’s nothing a good scrub with a brush and some soap can’t fix!

Fluctuations in wholesale flower prices: It’s Mother’s Day this weekend and because of the demand on flowers, the prices at the market have skyrocketed! Only this morning on a quick trip in, I spent over $40 on five bunches which really should’ve been half that price in a normal week. My poor bank balance has really copped a blow over the past week or so!

Pluses:

A new venture in creativity!: I would class myself as a very creative person. I crave making with my hands, whether that be with fabric, thread, food, flowers, craft supplies – anything! – I must always have my hands and my mind kept busy! Plus I love learning a new skill! Especially a skill that I can apply to real-life and potentially do as a job. So what better way to harness all of that and get creative with flowers! Like quilting, the design possibilities are endless!

Witnessing beautiful sunrises!: I touched a little bit on this above… I love a good sunrise (and sunset to be honest). There’s something about the promise it brings of a new day where you are given another chance to learn more, to laugh, to breathe, to sing, to dance, to create, to cook, to communicate, to relate and to live! Sunrises are beautifully inspiring in that way! 🙂

Discovery and playing with beautiful flowers and foliages!: Flowers are beautiful! Full stop! I’ve always loved flowers but I think after being around them almost everyday of the week along with learning all of their names and how to care for them properly, I’ve gained a deeper love and appreciation for them. Flowers aren’t around for all that long and we must cherish their one-of-a-kind beauty for as long as we can before they sadly die! 😦

Learning the tricks of the trade: Ohh, so many tricks, so many techniques, so many ah-ha! moments in class! They’re much more simple than what you’d expect. And don’t worry, I’ll show you them all one day!

It just feels right: You know when you start something new and there’s that feeling inside you where you know that what you’re doing is the right thing? I’ve experience plenty of new starts where the feeling has been the complete opposite – where the whole thing just does not feel like the right choice or right thing for my life. Well, Floristry feels right. After 11 years since leaving school I finally feel like I’m doing the right thing! (A part from doing all of my quilting ventures, blog and YouTube! Where would I be without all of you!!)

+++

So I think that’s it. That’s everything so far about my course that I think is good to share with you.

There will be more posts during the month that will centre around flowers and making/arranging a few things so I hope you’re excited for that! (I know I am!!)

Chat to you tomorrow, Friends!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: