Time out

It's coming up to the silly season and I've been so busy that I haven't even had much time to catch up on some blog reading. All of our Christmas shopping has been done but I still have the wrapping and posting to do yet.

I took some time out yesterday to play and when I'm in the mood to play, I do whatever I feel like. A small project is just the ticket to have some fun. This is fun with fusible, some raw edge stitching and a bit of machine trapunto.

I'm a bit rusty with the machine quilting but as we say in our sewing group, blind man Freddy would be happy with it. I'm sure a little two year old would be too. It's going to be a small cushion and the pattern is from Kellie at Don't Look Now
I couldn't finish it off for the want of a zip but I'll show it again when I do.

On a whim I decided to make the family recipe for a rich dark Christmas cake. Really it needs to be made about six weeks ahead to let the flavours mature and to make cutting it easier. Note the special ingredient on the right? I had no brandy in the pantry but I tell you, the Cointreau I used is probably better.

This is the first time I've used a cake box, it's made of Native New Zealand wood called Kahikatea. The theory is that the cake won't dry out as much around the edges and cooks more evenly. You also don't have to line it as heavily. I've seen these boxes online in the States but with a different wood. I won't know how good it worked until it's cut.

My house smells like Christmas today.

I've been dragging my feet over this vine panel for the Susan McCord quilt but I'm loving it when I get a chance to sit and sew with it. Two branches down out of eleven, I'll get there.This is how far I got with the star quilt, I'm leaving it alone until the New Year now that I'm happy with the direction it's going in.

I hope you all get some time out for yourselves this week. Until next time, happy stitching!

P.S I had to put the word verification back for comments, I started getting spam.