Sunday 27 September 2015

Autumn Cooking and Crafting




I drifted into Autumn in a bit of a daze, but soon got up to speed. On the textile front, I've been busy making another cushion for craft fairs, and an angel panel for a commission. I'm so enjoying working in this medium, I hope enough people like what I make or it's going to get a bit crowded round here!


   The folk birds seem quite popular, and I enjoy finding new ways to incorporate them into my cushions.



   The beautiful variegated threads are a delight to work with. As usual I'm using Perle Cotton no. 5



              Still using the green dyed blanket; I must do some more, I'm running out of this one.




         I don't always make buttons for the back, but I think the simple overlap works well.


        Meet Flora, commissioned by a lovely lady from Holt. She wanted a "non- Christmas angel" .


  I've enjoyed stitching these stylised flowers, first used on my Molly Dancing top hat, and cushions.



                 The request was for a slightly 'shabby chic' colour palette. I hope this fits the bill.
 

I've just done another Fakenham Makers Market. I didn't sell any cushions this time, but I did sell some pin cushions, a needle case and a little Japanese pouch. I also sold A QUILT! Yes, two about-to be Grandparents were deliberating over which one to buy for their expected grandchild, and they chose one of my folky sampler quilts. They were so excited, we had a long chat about how the images on the quilt would be enjoyed by the baby, and they even showed me a photograph of the ultrasound!

Aside from stitching I've been busy in the kitchen. My header photo shows just some of the wonderful fresh produce I picked up from the veg man on what remains of the lamentably reduced Kings Lynn market, and the fruits of our son's apple trees. You can also see a demijohn half-filled with damsons from the market, blackberries from the lane, sugar and……. GIN! I'm shaking it every day at the moment.


I'm entranced by Greek and Turkish dishes at the moment. I made Baba Ghanoush (roast aubergine puree) , roast tomato and pepper dip, and stuffed peppers. I served it with flatbreads and a small salad.


  My Heath-Robinson method of jelly-straining! Jim is putting me a hook up somewhere a bit better.


Apple - Chilli Jelly, made from our Mike's apples, and chillis from our greenhouse. I've never made this before, and it tastes pretty good!

I also made 6lb of apple and damson chutney on Friday. It was an interesting experiment. Certainly not as pungently smelly as I'd expected it to be. But it was a bit of a faff to be honest, and to tell you the truth, we don't eat a lot of chutney! However, it was fun, and I thank Sue of The Quince Tree blog for pointing me in the right direction and firing me up. I don't have a photo of the chutney at the moment, but I'll try and remember when we open the first jar.

Quite a few blogs are talking about jamming and bottling at the moment. It's such a comforting thing to do - if you like being your kitchen, of course. We don't NEED to continue making home preserves, but it's so satisfying looking at the gleaming jars on the shelf, and also knowing exactly what went into them. Our next door neighbour has kindly allowed us to go in and raid his apple and pear trees, so I shall be thinking up some more ideas to make use of the bounty. I hope you are enjoying the turn of the season, wherever you are.

12 comments:

  1. I just found your blog. I love your folk art birds! I have made some paper mache ones and looking at yours gave me some ideas on how to paint them. Are your cushions made of fleece?

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    1. Hi ! I wish I knew your name - I can't go calling you Cripplewing! Thanks for popping in and leaving a comment. I do admire people making papier mach - did it as a girl but not since. I make my cushions from recycled blankets which I dye in the washing machine. The motifs are made from blanket or hand-dyed felt. Do you follow Pinterest? LOADS of design ideas. I've got 60+ boards myself so you can see what I like! Shame you haven't got a blog - why not????? ;) Lx

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  2. Beautiful crafty things as always. Such a unique style you have which I love. I think preparing for winter by preserving is in our genes after all it isn't so long ago in evolutionary terms that we had to save things if we were to eat in the winter months. Even if we don't need to do it in order to eat it seems to be a spiritual need to many of us.

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    1. Hi Jane.I totally agree with you re preserving. I think even people who DON'T do the kitchen thing, automatically pickup nuts and conkers when they walk out in Autumn. Goodness knows whether we will get round to eating all that chutney, mind you! And thanks for your lovely comment.Lx

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  3. I'm in the preserving mood now that the days are a bit cooler. I make cinnamon apple jelly ...a favorite of my family. Love the pillows....they're beautiful!

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    1. Thanks Linda. Hmm.. I have a lot of apples this year - eaters, not cookers, but they've been ok for the apple chilli jelly. Cinnamon and apple sounds pretty good….Lx

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  4. I do love to see a productive kitchen. Sometimes the clean lines and empty tops make me mad. Kitchens are to make things, to get busy, especially at this time of year. I bet the jelly tastes delicious! Well done on the quilt too, such a memory maker for the family. Have a wonderful week xx

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    1. Hi Chel, yes, spartan. modern kitties do nothing for me, and I suspect I would be unable to cook happy in one. You enjoy being homeland the tail end of the good weather!

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  5. i love your stitching and i love your variagated thread!! i can understand why you want to make jams and chutneys with all the abundance of fruits etc - your pantry/cupboards must look lovely!! xx

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  6. Hi Lynne. Thanks, it's getting so that I find plain threads really boring now!

    To be honest I must re-arrange my kitchen shelves because there isn't any room for the jars! Lxx

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  7. As usual, the photos of your felt work have me itching to do 'something'. But despite my best efforts and hours on the internet, I haven't found any blanket on which to stitch the felty bits, so I think I shall just have to keep itching! Used to make lots of preserves, but nowadays with only us two, and nobody to give stuff away to, I don't bother. But I agree, there is something very satisfying and homely about seeing jars of gleaming jewels of preserves, especially when you know there's nothing artificial in them, all organic. Did you go ransom picking this year?

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    1. Hi Edwina. I find the blanket in charity shops, and a couple of friends keep an eye out for me in different places too. I never pay more than £2-£3 each for them.
      I didn't pick ramsons this year, because I still had frozen leaves and ramson pesto in the freezer, but I shall be out there next Spring! Lxx

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