Mother’s Day – 3and3quarters

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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

So Many Side Projects!

This is how my sewing list works…

I have a main project/quilt on the go at all times – currently it’s my Friendship Star Quilt, which is in a state of half-started quiltiness!

Then I have lots of other little side projects sprouting out from my sewing room, (usually lying on a coffee table or sitting mid-stitch on my desk), that I seem to begin to occupy/procrastinate my time with.

This post is dedicated to those side projects that are currently distracting me away from quilting this!

{Side Project #ONE}

Stop Motion Embroidery

When I get a chance to sit down in front of the telebox, I’m coolly stitching away at this number.

Every two minutes I take a photo of my progress, resulting in an effect that looks a little like this.

I’m so close to finishing this one! Hopefully I’ll be able to edit and upload it within the next few weeks!

{Side Project #TWO}

Mother’s Day Appliqué

This Sunday in Australia we’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day and because I’m as broke-as-two-bob-watch, I’m making this for my mum!

It’s a sweet little applique design I found in a quilting book in my library called 101 Full-Sized Blocks.

I thought this would be cheaper and a lot more personal than buying her real flowers – at least these ones won’t die in three days!

I’ll hand-stitch a satin/buttonhole stitch around all of the shapes, baste and bind it turning it into a mini wall quilt.

{Side Project #THREE}

Heart Block Video Tutorial

Another Quilty Tutorial is on its way to be uploaded onto my YouTube Channel.

You may’ve seen this cheeky little sketch in my Instagram feed a week or so ago…

I’ve always loved the pixelated looking heart block design…

So I’ve drawn up my own design and will be sharing the how-to process with you very soon!

{Side Project #FOUR}

Mini Spool Wall Quilts

I made up these blocks sometime late last year and have been wondering what to do with them ever since.

Happily, I was inspired by my Mother’s Day project and quickly whipped them up in one evening to the point of just stitching on the binding.

The over-all purpose of these making these little wall quilts is to sell them in my online madeit store,Love along with Side Project #FIVE…

{Side Project #FIVE}

Little Wallets

I made some more of these this week and still have another three waiting to be completed!

These five pretty little purses are waiting to be sent out to new homes…

If you live in Australia and are searching for a last-minute Mother’s Day gift, these could be what you’re looking for!

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So there we have it. Five little side projects waiting their turn for my attention.

Well actually, some of them aren’t really that little…

If only there were more hours in the day…

Cheerio

Happy Sewing!

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