Weekly Dispatches 13 December

G'day.  Can you believe that this time in two weeks Christmas will be behind us and we will be talking about our plans for New Year's Eve?  Don't forget that I am reducing the blog posts for the next few weeks.  There will be a special post about two special quilts on Sunday night and then I will be posting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights next week. I am planning something special for Christmas Eve too - but you will just have to wait and see!  :-)

It is important to note that although I will not be publishing the blog as often I will still be here answering emails and so on. Please continue to let me know when you send off your quilts or laundry bags and please continue to send photos.  I will still put the request list out a few times but if you want to start a quilt just give me a yell and I will let you know what requests are available if you want to personalise a quilt.

Now on with the show and tell for this week.

This week's totals 
4 quilts this week and 10 laundry bags.  

1319 quilts and 2348 laundry bags for 2013.  

2337 quilts and 3714 laundry bags in total.

I shared this earlier on Facebook but it is worth repeating here.  This time last year we had sent off 924 quilts and 1270 laundry bags for the year.

This year in the same time we have sent off 1319 quilts and 2348 laundry bags!  

I reckon that is pretty good growth! Don't you?

Well done all!

Andrea T

Now this one is nothing to get cocky about! 

Sorry could not resist.

Well okay, maybe it is.  This quilt top is the result of a joint effort.  Dasha decided to clean out her stash of greens and made all the wonky blocks, which she was not that keen on as she is not a fan of the wonkiness!    I suggested that she put them together in the one top at a sewing day and include an Aussie block as well.  Once completed I felt it had a real Aussie look but did not that time to think about it any more before sending it up to Debbie.  Thankfully Debbie argreed and asked if she could applique it and look at the results!  LOVE IT!

Another of Debbie's efforts.  We have had to blot out the detail on the bottom so as not to give the game away.

Designed by me, pieced by Katherine and quilted, bound and sent off by the lovely ladies of Camden Quilters

The next two were also cut out by me, pieced by Katherine and completed by Camden Quilters!

Embroidery by Michele, navy chaplain's crest by me, top pieced by Lynn (who has completed 100 quilt tops!!!) and quilted all over with sunflowers by Kym!  

Joan

Keryn

Kirsten created this quilt from Block of the month blocks

Liz

Louise created the quilt top and Camden quilters completed it.  

Louise T

Lynn pieced the next three quilt tops and Belinda quilted, bound it and sent it off.

More of Lynn's quilt tops completed by Camden Quilters.

Meg created this quilt top and again, the fabulous ladies at Camden quilters finished it off.

Nancy

Pam Y

And sadly I can't work out who made these two quilt tops so if you know please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

Lots of people who came to the dinner in Sydney on Monday were quite taken with Kiwi Karen's Christmas puddings.  The general consensus was YUM!!

Karen has kindly agreed to share the recipe.

Kiwi Karen's Perfect Plum  Pudding

Requirement 30 inch diameter circle of Calico

Before you start mixing make 1 cup of cold tea.  I use 3 teabags in half cup of hot water. When ready to add to pudding mix add half cup of cold water.

Put a very large pot of water on to boil.  I put a bread and butter plate in the bottom of the pot so the pudding does not rest on the bottom.

Rub  4oz Margarine into 2 cups of  S R Flour

Add 2 cups sultanas, 1 cup Sugar,  2 teas Cinnamon.

Dissolve 2  teaspoons of Bi Carb Soda into the cup of cold tea.

Mix all ingredient together and stir well.

Wet cloth and lay it into a bowl so that you can add the mixture.

Now you have two options.   

1    You can flour the cloth, which makes a thicker skin on your pudding

2     Do not flour the cloth which gives a thinner skin..

Either way the pudding will be OK

Gather the cloth up and tie with string,  this is the tricky part.  If the cloth is too loose the pudding will be flat.  If too tight the cloth will split.

When you are about to tie the pudding , hold the pudding up to the light and you be able to see the gap. From the pudding to the string allow about 1 inch.

Boil for three hours. If required top with boiling water only. 

This is trial and error until you get it right.  I have never made the pudding in a tin.  If anyone does and it works, let us all know as this could be an easier way.

Till next time...................keep spreading the word and happy stittching.  JMxx